Fiesta Margarita Cupcakes

Remember about a month ago it was almost Cinco de Mayo and I posted some of the decorations I was doing for our Cinco de Mayo party. In that post I also said I would be posting a recipe…well…I forgot. So I hope you’ll forgive the lateness of this post because the recipe is worth it!

At the end of April I was going back and forth on whether we should do a Cinco de Mayo party or a Memorial Day party. Fortunately, I decided on Cinco de Mayo. It’s just such a fun holiday! And being completely addicted to pinterest I was inspired to get my crafty-on for this gathering.

The table was decorated with 12 x 12 inch scrapbook paper and tissue pom-poms. I also made matching napkin rings and cupcake wrappers out of the scrapbook paper. For drinking, instead of using (or buying) margarita glasses, I used mason jars. I wrapped jute cord around the top and added a printed cut-out of a lime. I also added my guest’s names translated and written in Spanish to the jars.

We held the party mostly outside because it was a really beautiful day and we’re all addicted to cornhole! There was a bit of a rivalry going on amongst some of us. Needless to say, while delicious, margaritas do not help my cornhole game. While we were outside I set up a table for our homemade salsa bar and drinks. (My Homemade Guac Recipe) This also served as the appetizer and went over great with my guests.

We did a taco bar for dinner, which was so yummy, and for dessert I made these delicious margarita cupcakes I found at RecipeGirl. Everyone seemed to really enjoy them and they were a great way to end the meal. I found some cute mini shot glasses that where a perfect cupcake topper and filled it with a shot of tequila!

The Cupcakes are very lime-y and the frosting is pretty sweet so go easy on it. I didn’t taste any of the tequila but it is an ingredient in the cakes! What I loved most about this recipe is that there is just enough leftover margarita that you can drink one while you're making them! Now that is fun baking, people!

We ended the evening with comfortable conversation on the back porch that lasted into the wee hours. It was a lot of work but I really enjoyed crafting-up this little dinner party. We always enjoy the company of amazing people, filling our home with loud belly laughter, and filling our tummies with delicious food!

Margarita Cupcakes
Print Friendly

CAKE:
9 ounces Margarita Mixer, bottled liquid
3 ounces tequila
3/4 ounce Grand Marnier
1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
3 large egg whites
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon lime zest

LIME BUTTERCREAM ICING:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lime zest
green food coloring, if desired
small lime slices for garnish, if desired
Directions:

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 1 1/4 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 1 1/4 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 3/4 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 juice, 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.

Tips:
*Conversions: 9 ounces = a little over a cup, 3 ounces = a little less than 1/3 cup, 3/4 ounce = 1 1/2 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 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.

Source: RecipeGirl.com