Margarita Cupcakes

4.86 from 7 votes

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.

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: margarita cupcakes

Servings: cupcakes

Author: RecipeGirl.com

Ingredients

CAKE:

9 ounces margarita mix
3 ounces tequila
¾ ounce Grand Marnier
1 box white cake mix
3 large egg whites
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lime zest

LIME BUTTERCREAM ICING:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
⅛ teaspoon salt
green food coloring, if desired
small lime slices for garnish, if desired

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two dozen cupcake tins with paper liners.

PREPARE THE 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.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cake mix, egg whites, 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.
Spoon the batter into cupcake liners (about ¾½ full). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pans, then remove them to a rack to cool completely.

PREPARE THE ICING:

Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until the butter is fluffy. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar, lime juice, zest and salt. 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 the cupcakes in whatever manner you prefer... spreading or piping the frosting. Use small lime slices as garnish.

Notes

TIPS:

*Conversions: 9 ounces = a little over a cup, 3 ounces = a little less than ⅓ cup, ¾ ounce = 1 tablespoons
*Grand Marnier is an orange liqueur- sub another kind if you'd like or add in some orange juice.
*Don't worry too much about exact measuring for the margarita mix/tequila/Grand Marnier. Just eyeball it and measure out the 1¼ 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.

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