Looking for the perfect dessert for your Hamilton party? Make these Hamilton Cupcakes with rum-caramel frosting and firework toppers!

Thank you to my grocery partner Kroger DFW for supporting The Rose Table and this recipe! It’s partnerships like this that keep The Rose Table going. 

The real Alexander Hamilton was born in the Caribbean and I wanted to lean into his iconic immigrant status with this delicious rum-caramel frosting and finishing drizzle, especially since I go to visit the Hamilton Estate ruins during my trip to Nevis!

For an authentic taste, use Caribbean rum to pay homage to our founding father’s humble beginnings.

You might recognize this recipe as my famous Jack Sparrow Cupcakes. I modified it slightly here and used a 1M Wilton piping tip. I also topped the cupcakes with these adorable gold firework toppers, that I thought looked oh so 1776.

Hamilton Cupcakes

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Rum caramel sauce, recipe follows
Caramel-Rum Frosting, recipe follows

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two muffin cup pans with cupcake liners and spray each with non-stick spray.
2. Combine sugar, flour, dark cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated. Add milk, oil and vanilla all at once and beat on medium speed of mixer about two minutes. Stir in the boiling water. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
4. Frost with caramel-rum frosting and drizzle with caramel-rum sauce. Garnish with firework toppers.

Rum Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup good quality golden or spiced rum

1. Melt 1 stick of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add dark brown sugar and heavy cream. Cook until sugar has dissolved.
3. Remove pan from heat and add 1/2 cup of good dark rum. Now is not the time to use cheap rum because the flavor is important to the quality of the cake. I used Captain Morgan.
4. Carefully put the pan back on the heat. The rum will ignite. If it doesn’t, you can light it manually with a lighter. The flame should burn out in a minute or two. Continue cooking for one or two more minutes after the flame has died down to thicken the sauce.
5. Pour into a heat-proof bowl and allow to cool.

Note: this is more caramel sauce than you need so feel free to half the recipe, but leftovers are amazing on ice cream!

Rum–Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup caramel-rum sauce, cooled
5 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk

1. Cream together powdered sugar and softened butter with an electric mixer.
2. Slowly incorporate vanilla, rum-caramel sauce, and milk. Beat until smooth.
3. Add additional milk or powdered sugar if needed for desired consistency.

Happy baking,

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