Name: Margarita Cupcakes with Tequila Lime Frosting
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup salted butter, softened; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 3 eggs room temperature; 1 1/2 cups flour; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder; heaping 1/4 tsp salt; zest of two fresh limes; 1/4 cup quality Margarita mix; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening; 4-5 cups powdered sugar; 2 tbsp Tequila; 1 tsp fresh lime juice; green food coloring, optional

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These salted margarita cupcakes with tequila combine the best of two very amazing worlds- booze and baking! They make for a refreshing treat on hot days for all to enjoy.

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The warm weather makes me want to be sipping a frosty cocktail or enjoying the flavors of one.

One of my favorites?

A big old refreshing margarita of course!

Well with these margarita cupcakes you can have your cake and eat it too!

Or you know bite into one while enjoying the adult beverage.

We’re talking a fluffy margarita flavored cupcake frosted with light and airy tequila spiked frosting and all finished off with some salt!

It’s the perfect mix of dessert and drink!

Ingredients

To make these you’ll need a set of ingredients for the cupcakes and one for the frosting.

For the cupcakes you’ll need:

Butter– Unsalted softened butter
Sugar– Granulated
Eggs– Let them sit out on your counter to come to room temperature
Flour– Regular all purpose flour
Baking powder– For leavening
Salt– To balance the sweet and give you a touch of that margarita flavor
Lime zest– Don’t skip this! It add so much margarita flavor!
Margarita mix– Your favorite kind.

And for the frosting you’ll need:

Butter– Softened to room temperature
Shortening– Butter flavored
Sugar– Powdered. The amount you’ll need will vary a little based on preference for consistency.
Tequila
Lime juice– Fresh lime juice
Green food coloring– Optional but makes them super cute!

How to Make

Let’s break these margarita cupcakes into two parts: making the cupcakes themselves and making the frosting.

To Make the Cupcakes

Start by creaming the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until it’s smooth.

Then whip in the sugar until the butter and sugar is fluffy and smooth.

Beat in a single egg at a time mixing until each egg is fully incorporated before adding another.

Once all the eggs are incorporated, mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt just until evenly combined.

Then stir in the margarita mix and zest, just until evenly incorporated.

Add 12 cupcake liners to a cupcake pan.

Fill each liner 2/3 of the way full with the batter, repeating until all are filled.

Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

When the cupcakes are done, remove them from heat and let them cool 5 minutes.

Then remove the cupcakes from the tins to metal cooling racks to finish cooling completely.

To Make the Frosting

Once the cupcakes are cool, you can make the frosting.

To do it, beat together the sugar, butter, and shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer until evenly incorporated and smooth.

Beat in the powdered sugar a little at a time until the buttercream is once again smooth.

Then, beat in the tequila and lime juice, until incorporated.

Add the food coloring, stirring just until a uniform margarita green is reached.

Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your tip of choice or to a ziplocking bag with the corner snipped off and frost the cupcakes.

Top each with a sprinkle of salt, a lime wedge, and a short straw for the full presentation.

Serve and enjoy!

Storing

Store these cupcakes in a cake saver or large air tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Tips and Tricks

Once you add the dry ingredients to the batter, be careful not to overmix. Overmixing will cause the glutens in the cupcakes to overdevelop and make the cupcakes tough instead of light and tender.
Start with 4 cups of powdered sugar and add the 5th cup only if you need it for sweetness or texture.
Want to skip the tequila? You can use nonalcoholic tequila extract instead.

Other Margarita Inspired Recipes

Margarita cupcakes are a delicious warm weather combination of the classic drink and dessert.

Make them and enjoy!

Looking for other margarita inspired recipes?

Try these:

If you’ve tried these MARGARITA CUPCAKES, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!