These are fun for a Cinco de Mayo party, but they surely can be made for any festive, adult occasion…emphasis on adult. They do have a bit of tequila in them, so it’s probably best to keep them away from the little ones. This recipe has been featured in a post on The Recipe Girl blog with more photographs: Margarita Cupcakes.
MARGARITA CUPCAKES
www.RecipeGirl.com
CAKE:
9 ounces liquid Margarita mix (a little over a cup)
3 ounces tequila (a little less than 1/3 cup)
¾ ounce Grand Marnier
1 box white cake mix
3 large egg whites
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs lime zest
LIME BUTTERCREAM ICING:
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), at room temperature
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp grated lime zest
green food coloring, if desired
small lime slices for garnish, if desired
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two dozen cupcake tins with paper liners.
2. Prepare cupcakes: Whisk together margarita mix, tequila and Grand Marnier in a small bowl. Measure out 1¼ cups for the recipe; pour the rest on some ice and drink it while making the cupcakes.
3. In a large bowl, blend cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, lime zest and 1¼ cups of the margarita mix from step 1. Blend on low for about 30 seconds and then increase speed to medium and blend for two additional minutes. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
4. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners (about ¾ full). Bake for 20-25 min, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pans, then remove them to a rack to cool completely.
5. Prepare icing: Once cucpakes are completely cooled, prepare the icing. Place butter in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until butter is fluffy. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar, salt, lime juce, and lime zest. Mix until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar until the frosting is of a good spreading (or piping) consistency. Mix in a tiny amount of green food coloring or gel paste if you’d like the frosting to have a green tint. Ice cupcakes in whatever manner you prefer… spreading or piping the frosting. Use small lime slices as garnish.
Yield: About 24
Cooking Tips
*Don’t worry too much about exact measuring for the margarita mix/tequila/Grand Marnier. Just eyeball it and measure out the 1 1/4 cups that you’ll need for the recipe.
**If you just spread frosting on the cupcakes (rather than piping), you’ll probably have a bit of frosting leftover.
***If you prepare these a day before, it’s best to place them into a covered container and refrigerate them. Remove them to room temperature a couple of hours before serving. Of course, they’re best if eaten the day they’re made.
11 Comments
so nice and yumy. really interesting. Hope I don t get tipsy if I make these
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Great cupcakes! were a big hit for the adults at a boring children’s birthday party. Not sure if the alcohol would remain after baking, but did not let any of the children try these. Was asked for this recipe and refered them to this website. Easy to make, and enjoyed a margarita while putting the ingredients together!
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These turned out great for summer, thanks for the great recipe.
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These were a hit at a friends 21st birthday. The icing was amazing
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AWESOME! A HUGE HIT!
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LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! I made a cake yesterday for my mother in law’s birthday. It turned out great! I baked 2 – 8″ cakes at 350º for 15 min. Used the same icing recipe. Here’s a picture.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs396.snc3/24068_371126193343_620628343_3731632_2445456_n.jpg
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Lori Lange Reply:
April 5th, 2010 at 7:04 PM
Rita- so glad it turned out great for you!
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I made these for a “Sex and the City Party,” and they were a big hit. Delicious and so easy to make!
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These look phenomenal! I can’t wait to make them!
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i made these for a wedding shower, the brides colors were green and brown so they were perfect!!It was easy too! Everyone LOVED them! I also made a green Champange Cupcake, this recipe without a doubt was the winner!! I just used fresh lime zest as the garnish, it gave it a little extra kick and looked super cute. I think i going to have to make them again tomorrow for the people that didnt attend!!!
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@adult-only comment: Because the the cupcakes are baked and there is no alcohol in the frosting, all of the alcohol would be “cooked-off”.
I’ve also made these (my own recipe) with yellow cake mix and added some green food coloring – same color as a blended margarita! Add decorative sugar crystals to make it look like the salted rim. Very cute!
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Lori Lange Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 8:32 PM
@Angela, Yeah, technically… though I still wouldn’t feel comfortable telling my kiddo that it’s ok to eat Margarita cupcakes. I’ll stick w/ handing them out to the adults. Plus, it’s fun to stick a few shot glasses of tequila on your serving tray
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I made these for a bbq not long ago and they were a huge hit. even with my husband who doesnt really like cake. they are not too sweet. I added a little tequila to my frosting for a little extra zing.
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