Honey Rum Cupcakes with Brown Butter Buttercream
These honey rum cupcakes are a light, yet filling, festive treat to make around the holidays! Soft and fluffy spiced rum and honey cupcakes are topped with rich, silky browned butter buttercream to create a decadent, nutty dessert.
If you’re looking for a rich, indulgent recipe this holiday season, this is (in my humble opinion) one of the best you’ll find! These honey rum cupcakes are made with dark brown sugar, honey, and spiced rum, and are topped with a super rich brown butter frosting and toasty pecans. The sweetness of the honey mixed with the heartier impact of the gingerbread spiced rum is absolutely delicious, and the buttercream adds even more undertone of nutty spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. They’re rich in flavor, but still light enough to have a couple in one sitting – you never want to feel too full after one cupcake, am I right?
Here are some more cake and cupcake recipes you’ll love: Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, Black Forest Cake, and Decadent Chocolate Cake.
Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make these honey rum cupcakes with brown butter buttercream:
- Piping tips
- Piping bags
- Cupcake pan
- Flour
- Unsalted butter
- Dark brown sugar
- Eggs
- Honey
- Spiced rum
- Vanilla extract
- Almond milk
- Powdered sugar
- Nutmeg
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Pecans
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Use your pecans in unique ways. You can top your cupcakes with pecans like normal, you can add some to the cupcake batter, or even grind them in a food processor and add them directly to the buttercream – or, if you’re not a fan of nuts, just leave them off entirely.
- Frost how you want. You don’t have to use a specific piping tip if you don’t have any on hand – you can use an offset spatula to make smooth swirls, or even press your cupcakes down onto parchment paper to make a super flat surface!
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Piping tools matter. If your cupcakes never seem to come out looking like the ones in professional photos, it’s probably because you aren’t using the right piping tools. The most common tips are 1M and 2D, and if you use them with a proper piping bag, you’ll find frosting your cupcakes so much easier (and prettier)!
FAQs
No, but I suggest you do! Browning your butter will give your buttercream a delicious nutty flavor that’s definitely worth taking the bit of extra time.
You can store these cupcakes covered at room temperature of 3-5 days, or freeze them for up to three months (just thaw completely before eating).
More cake and cupcake recipes:
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Honey Rum Cupcakes with Brown Butter Buttercream
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter room temp
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs room temp
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup spiced rum
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup almond milk
For the buttercream:
- 2 sticks butter room temp
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp rum
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- sprinkle of nutmeg
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and prepare a cupcake tin with liners.
- In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a standard mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs one at a time until fully mixed.
- Add the vanilla, rum, and honey until combined.
- Alternate adding your dry ingredients with the almond milk until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into your cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool fully before frosting.
For the buttercream:
- In a small saucepan, brown the butter over medium heat – simply let it melt and brown for about 3-4 minutes, stirring often until it smells nutty and looks dark brown in color. Let the browned butter cool to room temperature.
- In a standard mixer, cream together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 stick of butter, and your browned butter until smooth.
- Add in your rum, vanilla, and nutmeg, then add another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to finish off the buttercream.
- Scoop buttercream into a piping bag with a star tip and frost your cupcakes.
- Sprinkle some nutmeg and toasted pecans on top, then serve!
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