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Margarita Cupcakes – Lime flavored cupcakes that are spiked with tequila! Plus a boozy lime frosting to top it off. Great for taco night, Cinco de Mayo or just because. Non-alcoholic recipe included!
Are you a fan of boozy desserts? I don’t make a lot of them. Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake was the latest one I made. Bailey’s is just so good, it should be included in more things though. And Mudslide Brownies, you can’t forget those! Apparently Bailey’s is a theme in my boozy desserts.
Oh, wait. I also made Frozen Key Lime Margarita Squares. Those have a little bit of tequila in the mix too. Well these margarita cupcakes date back to the first few months of me blogging, and I think the first time I ever put alcohol in desserts.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Margarita Mix – you can find this liquid mix in almost every grocery store in the US, near the drink mixers and juices. Liquor stores will also carry it. There are many brands available, so whatever your store has will work.
- Milk
- Egg Whites
- Oil – you want to use a neutral tasting oil to not change the taste of the cupcakes. Vegetable, Canola or Avocado Oil
- Tequila – you can definitely leave this out if you don’t want the boozy flavor
- Vanilla Extract
- Granulated Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
Lime Frosting
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Tequila – optional
- Margarita Mix
- Milk
- Lime Zest – optional
How To Make Margarita Cupcakes
- Mix Liquid Ingredients. In large bowl, mix together margarita mix, milk, egg whites, oil, tequila, vanilla and sugar together until well combined and smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients. In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix until they are just combined.
- Bake. Divide the batter evenly into 12 muffin tins and bake for about 18 minutes. You want them to spring back when you gently press the top. Or insert a toothpick and it should come out mostly clean.
- Let Cool. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. They need to be room temperature before you add the frosting.
- Make Frosting. Using a mixer or a spatula, cream together all of the frosting ingredients until they are smooth and a spreadable consistency. If you want to pipe the frosting high like the pictures, you will need to double the frosting recipe.
- Frost. Spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes. Or you can fill a piping bag fitted with a large tip (Wilton 1M was used for these) and pip the frosting onto the cupcakes.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- Tequila. If you don’t want to use the tequila, leave it out! If you leave the alcohol out, these margarita cupcakes kind of become lime cupcakes. And trust me, there is nothing wrong with that. The bright, fresh flavor of lime is great in a cupcake. It isn’t over powering, just enough so you know what is there.
- Margarita Mix. If you don’t have margarita mix, you can use lime juice instead.
- Decoration. To pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, you will want to double the recipe. I used a Wilton 1M top for these cupcakes.
- Storage. Store cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Make Ahead. You can make the cupcakes ahead and freezer for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer, let them thaw at room temperature and then top with frosting when you are ready to serve.
More Fun Cupcake Recipes
- Nutella Cupcakes
- Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes
- Apple Spice Cupcakes
- Double Chocolate Cupcakes
- Strawberry Almond Cupcakes
- Watermelon Cupcakes
Margarita Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup margarita mix
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons tequila, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Lime Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 3 Tablespoons margarita mix
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 1 Tablespoon tequila, (optional)
- lime zest, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin with liners.
- In large bowl, mix together margarita mix, milk, egg whites, oil, tequila, vanilla and sugar together.
- In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the liquids and stir until just combined.
- Divide evenly into 12 muffin tins.
- Bake for about 18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed and a tester comes out clean
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the frosting – Cream everything together until smooth and spreadable. Adjust the powdered sugar or milk if your frosting is too thick or thin.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, top with frosting
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These are so pretty! What a great summer cupcake recipe.
These are so pretty! What a great summer cupcake recipe.
These look soooo good! Love the slice of lime on the top of each cupcake!
These look soooo good! Love the slice of lime on the top of each cupcake!