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These Margarita Cupcakes have the same yummy light fresh lime flavor as a margarita drink but without the alcohol!
We are lime lovers at our house and this Key Lime Cake is amazing. We also love Key Lime Pie and this Honey Lime Chicken is so easy to make.
These margarita cupcakes are perfect for a Cinco de Mayo celebration or when you are dreaming of a tropical vacation. I am a lover of anything citrus so the light lime flavor of these cupcakes is perfect.
The batter uses Margarita Mix which can be found with the other drink mixers at the grocery store. It does not contain alcohol.
Thanks to whipped egg whites these cupcakes have a light and tender texture. The cupcake are topped with lime cream cheese frosting which is my favorite part of the cupcake and adds a lot of flavor. I served these cupcakes as part of a summer wedding cupcake bar and they were the most popular cupcake of the evening.
How to Make Margarita Cupcakes
- Mix together dry ingredients.
- Cream together the butter and sugar, add in vanilla and margarita mix.
- Whip the egg whites just until stiff peaks form and then gently fold them into the cupcake batter, do not over mix. Fold just until you don’t see any streaks of whipped egg whites.
Lime Cupcake Frosting
The frosting uses cream cheese so you will need to keep any leftover cupcakes refrigerated. If I am making them the day ahead of time I store them unfrosted until almost must ready to serve and then frost as they are easier to store unfrosted than frosted.
- Soften your cream cheese by allowing it to sit at room temperature for an hour.
- Cream together cream cheese, butter lime juice lime zest and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fluffy with an electric mixer.
- Add in salt and sugar and mix until combined.
Not only were they delicious but were so pretty with a little slice of fresh lime on top.
The other cupcakes we served at the wedding include:
Margarita Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour unbleached
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 16 Tbps unsalted butter 3/4 cup, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup margarita mix or any basic sweet and sour mixer
- 5 egg whites at room temperature
- 4 oz. light cream cheese room temperature
- 6 Tbsp butter room temperature
- 1 lime zest and juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 cupcake pans with liners.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then set aside
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high until light. About 3 minutes.
- Next, beat in the vanilla extract. Then the margarita mix.
- Reduce the speed to low and beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.
- Divide the batter between the cupcake molds.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
Lime Creamcheese Frosting
- Combine cream cheese, butter, lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla extract. Then beat on high until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add in salt and sugar, mixing until combined.
- Place frosting in fridge until cupcakes are cooled and ready to frost
- Once cupcakes have cooled completely, remove icing from fridge, and frost cupcakes.
Nutrition Facts:
Mary DeLoa says
can you make this recipe with margarita mix with alchol ?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
I have never made it with alcohol but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Vickie says
These look delicious! Would you please clarify the amount of butter in the cupcake batter. It reads 16 T. (3/4 cup, room temperature). Does that mean to use 2 sticks butter (16 T.) or 3/4 c. butter (12 T.)? Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes and beautiful pics!
Leigh Anne says
3/4 cup butter in batter. Enjoy!
Christie says
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!? 🙂
Ashley says
Those are such beautiful cupcakes!