Margarita Cupcakes recipe (with limes, tequila and triple sec)

Margarita is a Mexican cocktail, well known throughout the world. Many people like this cocktail, either connoisseurs or amateurs. Served straight up, on the rocks or frozen; in a special Margarita glass or in a champagne coupe, Margarita is one of the most popular cocktails of all time. And for a good reason! It is a dual-strength drink: it cools over a summer day and heats up on a cold day. It’s perfect in any season. Any day is a good day for a Margarita cocktail 🙂

Classic Margarita Cocktail is made from lime juice, tequila and orange triple-sec liqueur (or Cointreau or Grand Marnier). Often, the rim of a chilled margarita glass is salted and decorated with a slice of lime. There are also variations in the sense that lime juice is sometimes replaced with lemon juice, and sometimes only tequila or just triple sec can be used. Margarita Cocktail Cupcakes

Now, about these delicious Margarita Cupcakes, I can tell you that they represent a very special treat. If you want to impress your guests with a spectacular but easy to make dessert, Margarita Cupcakes are an ideal solution. Do not worry about alcohol content, it’s in negligible quantity, and anyway it’s cooked, so these wonderful Margarita Cupcakes can be enjoyed even by children. I like the fragrance of lime, it’s exotic and special and I want to use it as often as I can. But, of course, whoever wants, can use lemon with great commitment 🙂

Ingredients Margarita Cupcakes recipe

For cupcakes

• 175 g all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• 100 g soft butter
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 70 ml fresh sqeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 2 tablespoons tequila
• 2 tablespoons orange triple sec (or other orange liqueur)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 120 g yoghurt (or kefir)

For frosting

• 100 g egg whites
• 125 g granulated sugar
• 30 ml fresh sqeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon tequila/triple sec
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 g butter (80-82% fat), at room temperature, chopped

Preparing Margarita Cupcakes recipe

Preparing the Cupcakes

Preheat the oven at 175 Celsius. Prepare the muffin tin and line it with paper liners. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Mix butter with sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Then add lime juice, lime zest, tequila, triple sec and vanilla. Finally add yoghurt in 2-3 rounds, alternating with the flour mix.

Fill each muffin case about ¾ with the batch and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Then let cool.

Preparing the frosting

The frosting I used for these wonderful Margarita Cupcakes is actually a swiss meringue buttercream flavored with limes and tequila. Put egg whites with sugar in a stainless steel mixing bowl set over a pan in which we have simmering water. Whisk gently but continuously, until the egg whites are warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved (about 5-7 minutes). Transfer the bowl to the mixer and whip the mixture on medium-high speed until it gets stiff and completely cooled to room temperature. Add gradually the pieces of butter, one by one, mixing well after each addition.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula and continue mixing until the frosting is nice and smooth. Now add the lime juice, lime zest and tequila (or triple sec) and homogenize quicly. Do not overmix the batter!

Assembling and decorating Margarita Cupcakes recipe

Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and form nice swirls on top of every cupcake. Decorate with Maraschino cherries (or candied cherries), lime peel and cocktail umbrellas. Keep into the fridge until serving.