Description
hese Margarita Cupcakes taste like sunshine in dessert form! Soft, fluffy lime cupcakes topped with the dreamiest tequila-lime frosting. Perfect for summer parties!
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (let it sit out for about 30 minutes)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (this really matters for fluffy cupcakes!)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- Zest of 3 limes (use a microplane if you have one)
- Juice of 3 limes (about ⅓ cup)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons tequila for brushing
For the Tequila Lime Frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3–4 tablespoons tequila (start with 3, add more if you like)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lime extract or lime oil (this gives intense lime flavor without watering down the frosting)
- Pinch of salt
Optional Garnish:
- Fresh lime slices
- Extra lime zest
- Coarse sugar (for that margarita rim look!)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. This is the perfect time to set out your butter and eggs if you haven’t already—they need to be at room temperature for the best results.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until everything is evenly combined. Set this aside—you’ll need it in just a minute.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until it’s smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step adds air to your cupcakes, so don’t skip it!
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture might look a little curdled at first, but keep going—it’ll come together! Mix in the vanilla extract until everything is smooth and combined.
Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low speed just until it disappears. Pour in half the milk and mix again. Continue alternating, ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until no streaks remain—overmixing makes cupcakes dense and tough.
Gently stir in the lime zest and lime juice with a spatula or wooden spoon. The batter might look slightly curdled from the acid in the lime juice, but that’s totally normal and will bake up beautifully.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about halfway (or a little more). This gives them room to rise without overflowing. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
If you want that authentic margarita kick, lightly brush the tops of the warm cupcakes with tequila using a pastry brush. Don’t soak them—just a light touch adds flavor without making them soggy. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until it’s smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed to avoid a sugar cloud in your kitchen.
Once all the sugar is incorporated, add the tequila, vanilla, lime extract, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy, and absolutely irresistible.
Once your cupcakes are completely cool, frost them generously using a piping bag, offset spatula, or butter knife. Top each one with a small lime slice, a sprinkle of lime zest, or coarse sugar to mimic that classic margarita rim. They’ll look as good as they taste!
Notes
- Avoid dense cupcakes: Don’t overmix once you add the flour—mix just until you can’t see any white streaks
- Test for doneness early: Start checking at 18 minutes; every oven is different, and overbaked cupcakes are dry cupcakes
- No lime extract? Use fresh lime zest in the frosting instead: Just add an extra teaspoon of zest—it won’t be quite as intense, but it’ll still taste wonderful
- Make frosting smoother: If your frosting seems too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time; if it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar
- Pipe like a pro: Use a large star tip for gorgeous swirls, or just snip the corner off a ziplock bag for a simple, rustic look
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American