Today’s wedding cupcake was actually a last minute addition to the lineup.
I thought I had the cupcake menu figured out when I went into my reader last week and found a recipe for Margarita Cupcakes over at Good Things Catered.
I am a sucker for anything citrus so I knew I had to try them. Their test run proved to be highly successful and they made the final cut!
My only concern with them was the name – Margarita Cupcakes. Even though there is no alcohol in them I was afraid the mere mention of something alcoholic might scare the mainly Mormon crowd away. So they were renamed Lovely Lime Cupcakes.
I think that was a good move because they proved to be the most popular cupcake of the evening!
The cream cheese frosting held up great in the heat. Their light, refreshing lime flavor proved to be popular on that hot, hot evening.
I loved how pretty the lime zest looked in the frosting and the little slice of fresh lime was a pretty topper.
They were the perfect compliment to the lemon, banana, chocolate cherry and brown sugar cupcakes.
Margarita Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 C. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp instant milk powder
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 C sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 C margarita mix (or any basic sweet and sour mixer)
5 egg whites, at room temperature
4 oz. light cream cheese, room temperature
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
2 C powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 cupcake pans.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, instant milk, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In bowl of electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high until light (about 3 mins).
Beat in the vanilla extract, then margarita mix.
Reduce the speed to low and beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with clean, dry beaters and set on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten whites into the batter just until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the cupcake molds.
Bake about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
Meanwhile, in bowl of stand mixer combine cream cheese, butter, lime juice, and zest, vanilla extract and beat on high until light and fluffy.
Slowly add in salt and sugar mixing until combined thoroughly.
Place bowl in fridge until cupcakes are cooled and ready to frost.
Once cupcakes have cooled completely, remove icing from fridge, frost, and decorate to your liking.
Makes about 24 cupcakes
I can see why they were the number one choice. They look just delicious!
I can totally see and almost taste those cupcakes. I have to say I love your choices for a summer reception. So fun. Looking back on our choices for an autumn reception, our cupcakes were all those rich, heavy fall favorite kind of tastes. I think all the rest of my kids are absolutely convinced that a cupcake reception is what they want. Now we will have to see what new flavors we can come up with.
Those cupcakes look great. Thanks for sharing your secrets on the way the frostings hold up in the heat. You did a lovely job!!! The reception looked so inviting.
I see that you had temperatures near 105 yesterday. Wow-
I hope you and your family are all holding up in that heat.
Hello! These look absolutely AMAZING! I am having a 30th birthday party for my best friend, and I’m kind of known for my cupcake dessert themed parties. However, we are going to be serving Thai food at this party, and the color are going to be directed by the colors of a peacock feather.
So, my normal cupcake recipes wouldn’t really go. I think that these Lovely Limies are going to be PERFECT! The lime works well with the Thai food, and the colors work, too! Yay!
I do have a question about the “Margarita Mix”. I don’t drink alcohol, and I’m not really sure what that is. Is it a liquid or some other medium? And where do you get that?
Thanks for all of your beautiful, beautiful posts! I love all the wonderful pictures you take!
- Vanessa
Vanessa,
I don’t drink alochol either THe margarita mix is the non-alocholic part of a Margarita. You can usually find it in the soft drink aisle of the store. It is among the mixers – grenadine, etc. It also called Sweet and Sour mix. Most grocery stores carry it so you shouldn’t have a problem finding it. Have fun with your Thai dinner – sounds yummy!!
Thanks so much for the tip! I can’t wait to make these yummies! I might even have to do a trial run, since the party isn’t until Labor Day, and I don’t think I can wait that long to try them out!
Also, all of your cupcakes are such a perfect size! How do you measure out each one? I like to use an ice cream scoop (the kind with the little lever on the side that scoops it out for you). But how full do you fill each little paper cup?
I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup – it’s about the same size as the ice cream scoop. I filled each cupcake about 2/3 to 3/4 full and that seemed to work just right.
Have fun!
Wow these look so wonderful. It looks like wedding turned out perfect. All those cupcakes lood amazing! Good job!!
So glad you liked them! They turned out so beautifully! And I LOVE your tablecloth (because I have the same one)!! Great minds think alike!
Oh yum! You know how much I love those lemon ones. I’m gonna try these now!
Those are such beautiful cupcakes!
I made these today for tonight’s sewing night and they turned out wonderful! So delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Now, I need to figure out what I can do with the rest of the margarita mix!?