Name: Margarita Cupcakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1¼ cups granulated sugar; ½ cup vegetable oil; 1½ cups all-purpose flour; 1½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice; ½ tsp vanilla essence; ½ tsp lemon extract; 2 tbsp tequila; 2 tbsp orange liqueur; ½ cup heavy whipping cream; Lime zest, as per liking; 1 tbsp Tequila; ½ tbsp Orange liqueur; 1 tbsp Lime juice; 1 tbsp Caster sugar; 2½ cup caster sugar; ½ cup softened butter; ½ tbsp Lime zest; ½ tsp Orange liqueur; 1 tbsp Tequila; A pinch of salt; Sliced lime wedges fordecoration

When It’s finally vacation and we adults get a break from hectic school routines, the mood sets in for summer outdoor parties. And what even is a summer party without some margaritas? And the best, we have these delicious, yummy boozy cupcakes that serve you a margarita without making you all dizzy. So bake some of them and enjoy the relaxing beach or poolside party with all the fun and flavor. The best part is that you can use them as the birthday party cupcakes to celebrate the birthday of your friends. But oh! Keep them away from your children!

Margarita cupcakes have a basic lime and lemon-based zesty flavor. The orange liqueur and tequila give a boozy kick to the cake base and frosting. The resulting light and airy texture and refreshing flavor are ideal for hot summers because you can easily ditch those typical flavors of dark chocolate, cream cheese, or Strawberry.

How to make Margarita cupcakes?

Take a large mixing bowl and pour sugar into it. Mix in the vegetable oil. I am using vegetable oil here because the butter makes the cake base thick and heavy, whereas oil will keep it light and fluffy. Add two eggs to the same mixture and give it a good mix.
Use some baking extracts to enhance the flavor and aroma of the cake sponge. For this recipe, I am adding a bit of vanilla essence and some lime extract. You can also add some lemon extract. Finally, add the lime zest and mix well.

mixing ingredients for Margarita Cupcakes

In another bowl, mix in the All purpose flour with baking powder. You can use cake flour as well. If you want to keep your cakes gluten-free, select a gluten-free flour or almond meal, although an almond meal might give a nutty flavor. Use only fresh baking powder. Add a pinch of salt.
Add this mixture of dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Mix well with the spatula. Make sure that the flour is thoroughly mixed in.
I am a big fan of buttermilk for these recipes, but for this one, I always pour in some heavy cream along with freshly squeezed lime juice. Mix it very well to blend all the ingredients.
Now comes the magic, the flavor, the booziness. Add a bit (or more) of tequila and some orange liqueur to this blend. Make sure the batter is smooth and lump-free and should smell very nice by now!

Set a muffin tray with cupcake liners and glaze a bit of oil in them. Pour the prepared cake batter on the liners to fill them up equally.
In a preheated oven, place this muffin tray and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Check-in between, but I usually check in at 18 minutes. If not ready, let them bake for another 2 to 4 minutes. Take the beauties out of the oven.
Let these cupcakes cool up just a little bit. Meanwhile, mix in tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Brush this glaze over the Cupcakes. Take them out of the tray and allow them to cool completely on. Cooling rack. Never refrigerate the freshly baked cupcakes or they might form cracks on the top.

Use softened butter and caster sugar to start preparing the frosting. Beat them very well. It should be a bit dry and crumbly before you add the lime zest, lime juice, tequila, and orange liqueur. Beat the mixture again until it comes to a thick, frosting-like consistency.
Ideally, you should prepare the frosting a day before. This is because the fresh frosting is very bold, extra limey, and boozy. These flavors tend to mellow down a bit after a day.
Use a piping bag and nozzle to create a beautiful pattern of frosting over the cupcakes. For a simple decoration, just sprinkle some lime zest and a lime wedge over the frosting. After all, it’s the flavor that is going to make you go crazy! That’s it! Your margarita cupcakes are ready to serve.

Tips to bake Margarita Cupcakes perfectly

1. Bring the ingredients to the room temperature

Before you start mixing up the mixture, make sure the ingredients are at room temperature. This is because, at room temperature, the butter, eggs, milk, and other ingredients blend very well.

Refrigerated ingredients take a longer time to blend and may form lumps or an unsmooth mixture. To ensure the ideal temperature, take out all the ingredients from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before starting prep.

2. Measuring the ingredients

During regular cooking, you might get away with rough measurements of ingredients or mere estimation. But when it comes to baking, you need to use appropriate kitchen scales and measure all the ingredients in the exact amount. Remember that baking requires precision regarding quantities and baking time. So the more accurate you are, the better the results.

3. Only the fresh ingredients

Baking powders, cocoa powders, and sometimes All purpose flour tends to go stale and develops foul flavor. Therefore, it is recommended to always use fresh ingredients in all baking procedures. After use, store these in dry and airtight containers to keep them fresh for a long time. A good method to rest the baking powder is to add some of it to the boiling water. If you see some fizziness and bubbling, your baking powder is good to go.

4. Cool the cupcakes before frosting

It is very important to cool the cupcakes on a cooling rack before you set the frosting on them. If you will rush to set the frosting when the cupcakes are still hot, the whipping cream or cream cheese will melt and become watery. It will not sit well and will fail the decorative element of the cupcakes. Always cool them down, but not in the refrigerator, before frosting.

Ingredients

For Margarita Cupcake

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
½ tsp. vanilla essence
½ tsp. lemon extract
2 tbsp. tequila
2 tbsp. orange liqueur
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Lime zest, as per liking

For the Margarita Glaze

1 tbsp. Tequila
½ tbsp. Orange liqueur
1 tbsp. Lime juice
1 tbsp. Caster sugar

For the frosting

2 ½ cup caster sugar
½ cup softened butter
½ tbsp. Lime zest
½ tsp. Orange liqueur
1 tbsp. Tequila
A pinch of salt
Sliced lime wedges for decoration

Instructions

Mix all the dry ingredients i.e. flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, Mix sugar and oil well together until light and airy.
Add to this mixture, eggs, tequila, orange liqueur, lemon juice, lime zest, vanilla, and lemon essences.
Add all the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Finally, Add heavy whipping cream to the mixture.
Set the cupcake liners in a muffin tray and glaze them with oil, or spray them with cooking spray.
Pour the cupcake batter evenly into the set muffin tray.
In a preheated oven, bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick pricked at the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cupcake is ready.
Spread the glaze over the cupcakes and allow them to cool a bit. Remove them from the tray and set them on a cooling rack to cool them completely.
For the frosting, beat the butter and caster sugar until light and airy.
Add the tequila and orange liqueur. Mix well.
Add a pinch of salt.
With the help of piping bags and nozzles, set the frosting beautifully on the cupcakes. Decorate with sliced limes.