Thursday, August 2, 2018

Mojito Cake #recipe #booklaunch @lucyburdette


LUCY BURDETTE: In the eighth Key West mystery, Hayley and her mother Janet are catering a Key West/Havana conference at the Truman Little White House. This is the dessert they serve for the final dinner. And it is the perfect recipe to celebrate the arrival of DEATH ON THE MENU! (Read all the way to the bottom for information on today's giveaway!)

The basis of this recipe came from a cookbook called Cuba! – Recipes and Stories from the Cuban Kitchen. I love lime cake and yellow cake and whipped cream, so you can imagine that this recipe was irresistible. I know Mojitos require rum, and yet I am not a big fan of alcohol-flavored desserts. So I chose to leave the rum extract out of the cake, and instead add a teaspoon of rum. This gives it a little soupçon of flavor without overwhelming the cake. I also reduced the salt in the batter and the rum in the frosting. You can adjust the rum upward to a tablespoon if you choose.






Ingredients for the cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder (low-sodium works fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Two sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
Four eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Half cup whole milk
1 teaspoon rum


For the lime mint syrup

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, tightly packed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon dark rum


Thin slices of lime, or lime zest, or mint leaves, for decoration

Prepare two 9 inch cake pans by buttering them and lining with parchment paper. Butter the paper too. Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients for the cake together and set this aside. In your KitchenAid, food processor, or with an electric beater, beat the butter well with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract, the lime zest, and the rum. Fold in the dry ingredients, don't overmix. Stir in the milk.


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Divide the batter into the two prepared pans and bake about 30 minutes until the cakes spring back when touched. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then remove them from the pans and cool completely.


For the lime mint syrup, heat the sugar and water in a small pan until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in the mint leaves. Let them steep for 10 minutes, then strain them out and stir in the lime juice. Paint this glaze onto each layer of cake with a pastry brush.

Whip the cream and sugar until stiff, and stir in the rum. Drop half of the whipped cream onto the first layer. Place the second layer on top and spread the remainder of the cream over that. Decorate with thin slices of lime or mint leaves as desired.


My sister's version of the same cake--so pretty!
Death on the Menu, the 8th Key West food critic mystery, will hit bookstores on August 7 from Crooked Lane Books. WE'LL BE GIVING AWAY A SIGNED COPY TO CELEBRATE! LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL BY SUNDAY AUGUST 5 TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RANDOM DRAWING...US only this time please...

Here's a pre-order the book link from Amazon--and here's a link to preorder a hard copy from RJ Julia in CT, where you'll be able to get a signed copy. OR COME TO THE BOOK LAUNCH PARTY ON AUGUST 9 AT 7PM in Madison CT


Or you can order it from Books and Books in Key West, or call Suzanne Orchard at Key West Island Bookstore ((305) 294-2904)--she'll be delighted to order you a copy! 



Or really, wherever books are sold...

60 comments:

  1. That cake looks sooo good. Thank you for the recipe, and your new book looks awesome! mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  2. That cake sounds so delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I really enjoy this series, I’d love to go there now. I really want to read this book soon. Donamaekutska7@gmail.com

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  3. The cake looks wonderful and the book sounds delicious!
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

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  4. Sounds great and although I cannot do rum I bet I could find something else to spice it up with. Thanks for the contest.
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  5. The recipe sounds delicious. I am always looking for new recipes. I have read previous books in the Ke West series. Great mysteries. Dbahn@iw.net

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  6. I love key lime pie, so I bet I would love this also! Yum!
    Wendh
    clarksrfun at gmail dot com

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  7. That cake looks too good to eat! Congratulations on the new book!
    I love the thought of cooking for the firefighters. Wish I lived closer.
    debprice60@gmail.com

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  8. The cake looks delicious. I’m so glad Hayley and the gang are back. I can’t wait to read Death on the Menu! cking78503(at)aol(dot)com

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  9. That cake looks and sounds amazing! I can't wait for Death on the Menu. It'll be on my Kindle when I wake up on the 7th.
    harbingerdc(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. Oh my, the Mojito Cake sounds to die for! I agree with the idea of using rum opposed to extract. Don't you just wish there was sample vision where you could just reach in and get a slice because I sure would love one now for breakfast. :)

    Can't wait for the opportunity to read "DEATH ON THE MENU". Adorable cover with the cute kitty and love the historical connection. Thanks for the wonderful chance to win a copy!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  11. A Mojito cake, what a fabulous idea! I know several people this could thrill for a dessert. Thanks so much for sharing it. Congratulations on the release of Death on the Menu!
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  12. Finally almost time for Hayley again! Yay! And bonus, this cake sounds delicious. Thanks for the tips on the rum and salt. Congrats on the (almost) release!
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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  13. The cake looks good!
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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  14. I have been patiently waiting for the next installment of one of my favorite series!! Welcome back!!!!

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  15. Sorry forgot email .Oneponychick66@hotmail.com

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  16. A perfect cake for the summer. Looks delectable. Congratulations on your release. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. I would enjoy this book and together with the enticing and beautiful cake life is ideal. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  18. I love lime anything! Can't wait for the latest Key West mystery Lucy. I'm so glad the series is alive and well!
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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  19. This sounds like a perfect way to celebrate the new book (or pretty much anything!).
    I can almost taste the minty fresh flavors.

    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  20. I love Lucy Burdette's books! petitepoet47@gmail.com

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  21. The cake looks delicious! The book looks very good too. kristilewis dot lrc at gmail dot com

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  22. I can't wait to read your new book! And....try this cake! Mojitos are my favorite!...roxie.faubion@gmail.com

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  23. I'm looking forward to trying the cake while reading the book!

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  24. My mouth is watering and the book would be a nice 70th (!!!) birthday present👍

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  25. Yummy cake and a great book! jawdance@yahoo.com

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  26. Ooh! That cakes looks so good! Is the recipe also in the book? I am so looking forward to reading this one - I've heard lots of good things! jmpurcel at hotmail.com

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  27. mouth is watering - thanks - bayrose.robin@gmail.com

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  28. Congrats on the new release. Thanks for the recipe. I love this series even if in my own mind they are somewhere else besides FL, lol. Thanks for the chance to win. kayt18 (at) comcast (dot) net

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  29. This looks wonderful! I LOVE this series, one of my very, very favorites. I am so excited for this book to come out! Thank you! tami.norman@gmail.com

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  30. The Mojito Cake looks so good! What a great cake for summer. Great series, would really like to read "Death on the Menu".
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  31. I discovered Hayley and the gang on a trip to Key West a few years ago. I love reading the books and feeling like I'm back in Key West. Can't wait to read this latest one! sharonasmith@charter.net

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  32. So pretty! . . . and the book is wonderful! <3

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  33. This cake looks so yummy & I love the lime slices on top - so pretty.
    turtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com

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  34. That cake sounds amazing! And I can’t wait to read the book. Thanks for the chance. kathys2014@icloud.com

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  35. I went to Havana in May and really got an education. Our other stop on the "short" cruise was Key West and I couldn't help but look around Mallory Square (even though it was morning/afternoon) and look for some of Haley's favorite friends. Looking forward to another book in the series. Please keep writing. ddteebo@hotmail.com

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  36. The recipe looks delicious and so does the book. eswright18 at gmail dot com

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  37. The cake looks amazing, Lucy/Roberta, and congrats on the upcoming release of DEATH ON THE MENU!

    ~ Cleo

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  38. Thanks for the yummy recipe!

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  39. Taylor R. WilliamsAugust 2, 2018 at 8:28 PM

    My favorite drink is a mojito - I take an empty rum bottle and stuff it full of spearmint leaves then top of with white rum - let sit for a month or so and voila my own mint rum - makes it easier to whip up a mojito at home trwilliams69 at msn dot com

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  40. My husband loves key lime pie, so he would probably love this.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  41. Congratulations on Death on the Menu being released. The cover is outstanding! This is a tasty sounding recipe. I love citrus flavor and whipped cream a lot. Favorites are key lime pie with whipped cream and key lime cheesecake. Thank you for the cake recipe.

    Please add my name to the list for your autographed book. That would be very special. I will leave my Facebook name as I've had problems with leaving email on authors pages. Cynthia Bayer Blain is a good way to connect if I were lucky enough to win. Thank you so much. Wishing you the best of everything with your wonderful books. Thank you.
    Cynthia

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  42. It looks so refreshing!
    theresa_c@msn.com

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  43. This looks so refreshing! I wonder how my daughter could play with this recipe and make it gluten free. We had a good coconut flour cake/bread last night that could adapt....hmmm... I am not quite caught up in this series...so I will jog on over to the library and reserve the next book. I’ll catch up...eventually. Lldawnjm (at) gmail ( dot) com. Thanks!

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  44. This looks so good! I can't wait to read your new book and see what new adventures Hayley will experience!

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  45. That cake looks delish. I pinterested it to share with the daughter's and baker son to make for me to try. I'm looking forward to the next Key West book and can't wait to read it. Hopefully I'll be your lucky winner so it will share the bookshelf with the others in the series that I already own.

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    1. Nora-Adrienne, you are the winner this time! Please email me lucyburdette at gmail dot com to let me know preferred address!

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  46. This sounds YUMMY! Thank you for the chance to win a copy of "Death on the Menu".

    wfnren at aol dot com

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  47. Thank you for the recipe! My husband lived in Florida for a decade or so and Key West was his favorite place to visit and to eat. I can’t wait to make this cake for him. I just ordered the book and am moving it to the top of my TBR list. Ag6sams@gmail.com

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  48. This sounds like a very refreshing summer cake. Especially for after dinner, sitting on the porch and drinking it all in. Thank you for sharing! Congratulations on your new book. Hugs

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  49. The photo of the finished cake is gorgeous. I'd love a slice to go and to eat and savor while sitting in my backyard with the sounds of birds twittering, and a few bees and butterflies hovering nearby. bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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  50. This cake sounds amazing!!! I would love to give it a try.
    awilcox1182@gmail.com

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  51. Yummy! I love the photos! Looking forward to your new book that I have on order! carters@columbusacademy.org

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  52. Mojito cake sound purr-fect! Yum. Can't wait to try it. Love your Key West books...takes me back to fun vacation time there. Looking forward to reading Death on the Menu! charlenemwilson89@gmail.com

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  53. Congratulations on the release and the cake looks wonderful!
    dm_richards (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  54. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  55. The cake looks delicious and I would love to sink my teeth into it and the new book!!!
    Jerriw@gmail.com

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  56. The cake sounds amazing. Congrats on the release. sable677 at yahoo dot com

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  57. That cake looks incredible and so delicious! rebarger at bellsouth dot net

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