Margarita Cupcakes
These margarita cupcakes are simple vanilla cakes infused with lime and tequila, brushed with more tequila, and topped with a tequila lime buttercream frosting.
You know what holiday is right around the corner, right? Every food-lover’s dream: Cinco de Mayo!
The one day a year when we can stuff ourselves full of chips, salsa, guacamole and margaritas… It’s a little bit of a foodie nirvana.
Of course there is historical significance to the day (it commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862) and in Mexico, the day is ceremonial in nature. In the U.S., it has become a celebration of Mexican-American culture and like most holidays that celebrate a heritage, people enjoy celebrating Cinco de Mayo with authentic food and drink. Since margaritas are a classic Mexican cocktail, it stands to reason that you should wash down your Mexican feast with these margarita cupcakes!
Tequila and lime? Check!
I first made these cupcakes a long, long, loooooong time ago, and at the time all I could find online were margarita cupcake recipes using a box cake mix. It wasn’t really what I had in mind, but after some more digging, I found a recipe from The Brewer & The Baker for margarita cupcakes from scratch. Bingo!
Except for two things: there wasn’t any tequila actually in the cupcakes, and the frosting was a Swiss meringue buttercream (I didn’t think margarita cupcakes really necessitated all the fuss that goes into a Swiss meringue buttercream – can you tell I’m ridiculously low maintenance?).
I adapted the cupcake recipe to amp up the liquor quotient by adding tequila into the cupcakes as well as brushing tequila onto the cupcakes after they were done baking. Mucho tequila = muy bueno. (I took 7 years of Spanish, I should put it to a little use!) Then I adapted my absolute favorite basic vanilla frosting to include lime juice and tequila, and voilà! Verrrrrrry boozy cocktail cupcakes! I really don’t think the brand of tequila matters much – use whatever you keep at home, just be sure that it is white or silver tequila, not gold. I’ve made these with Patron and Jose Cuervo (pictured above) and both are delicious!
(If you would prefer to make your margarita cupcakes without tequila or alcohol at all, simply omit it from the recipe. I would add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract to the frosting in its place.)
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They look so innocent, don’t they? Sitting there all pretty with lime zest laying like a feather on buttery pillows of frosting.
They are definitely not innocent. They are all things tequila and lime. The cupcakes are buttery and moist. The frosting is velvety and buttery (more butter!). And there is a prevalent lime/tequila taste throughout. They are a Cinco de Mayo dream. If you like margaritas (or just boozy cupcakes), you will fall in love with these babies. And they’re perfect for toting along to picnics and cook-outs all summer long!
My husband, mom, and in-laws all proclaimed that these are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. SO… there you go!
One year ago: Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Four years ago: Black and White Cookies
Watch How to Make Margarita Cupcakes:
Margarita Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1½ (1.5) limes, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons tequila
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
To Brush the Cupcakes
- 1 to 2 tablespoons tequila
For the Tequila-Lime Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2¾ cups (330 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons tequila
- Pinch of coarse salt
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and tequila. Mix until combined. (The mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don’t worry, it will all come back together!)
- Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until the cupcakes are light golden brown on top and a skewer inserted in the center has moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
- Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1 to 2 tablespoons of tequila. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.
- Make the Frosting: Whip the butter on medium-high speed of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Increase speed to medium and mix for 30 seconds. Add the lime juice, tequila and salt, and beat on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cupcakes and garnish, if desired, with lime zest, an additional sprinkling of salt and a lime wedge.
Notes
- If you would prefer to not use liquor in these cupcakes, you can absolutely omit it from both the cupcakes and the frosting with no problem. If you do omit it, I would add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to the frosting.
- I used a Wilton 1M tip to frost the cupcakes.
- You can use whatever tequila you keep on hand; I’ve made them with both Patron and Jose Cuervo. You will want to use white or silver tequila, not gold.
Did you make this recipe?
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This recipe was originally published on May 5, 2011.
Hi! I am totally looking forward to making these! Just wondering if you could incorporate any Grand Marnier in the cupcakes? Would you recommend that? Maybe in the frosting? We use Grand Marnier in our margaritas, so just hoping we can get it in too! Thanks! :)
You definitely could! If you want to be able to taste the flavor, I would probably put the Grand Marnier in the frosting. Enjoy!
Can this recipe be halved?
Hi Kelsey, Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Made these cupcakes for my beach birthday party and they hit the spot. I must warn you though, beware of getting lime juice on your hands and then going in the sun! I made that mistake and my hands are now covered in second degree burns and blisters :( … the cupcakes were awesome though! (:
Love them! Did a test run of the cupcakes. I cut the recipe in half. Added a little bit of margarita mix to the batter and icing. Also added a pinch of food coloring to the frosting. I ended up with 9 cupcakes. So tasty. Great lime flavor. Very refreshing taste. Constantly looking for a reason to make these. So far The Only Thing I have Going On Is friends helping me move furniture. Time to make cupcakes!
Love these! I made these for a Mexican themed “Girl’s Night”, took them to the next level by infusing lime zest with granulated sugar and coarse sea salt, sprinkled this on top of frosted cupcakes! Looks sensational!
Hi, i really wanna make this for new year’s eve, but i was wondering if I can replace the tequila with any other liquor we have stocked up, like vodka??? :D hahahha or whiskey!! please let me know!
Hi Lexie, You could definitely use other types of liquors; they just won’t be true “margarita-style” cupcakes.
These Cupcakes are probably the best cupcakes I had ever made yet! I made them for one my friends dad birthday Gift & I swear it tasted like Heaven. Perfect amount out Tequila & lime. &the buttercream is the best. Especially if you Top it with a lime wedge, bite the lime wedge &then a bite of the cupcake. Best Stuff Ever!
Hi,
I just made these and while the flavor was good…the cupcakes fell as they cooled. This may be due to the high altitude(4600 ft in AZ). I did bump up the oven 5 degrees, used a little less sugar, and more flour.
Is there something else I could do to fix it?
P.S. The buttercream was perfect. I even added strawberry purée to make strawberry margarita cupcakes.
Thanks!
Hi Denise, Any combination of the altitude, the temperature difference, and altering the sugar and the flour could have caused your cupcakes to fall. Unfortunately, I have no idea which one may have done it :(
Hello, I just made them but since I didn’t have any buttermilk (the only buttermilk available in Greece is a milk that is a little thicker and more sour than the normal milk) so instead I used 1/2 a cup of milk and 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt (our yogurt is very thick though) and I put them in the oven but they did not go up at all.. They are very short and look like cookies. I don’t know where I went wrong, the only thing I can think of is the lack of actual buttermilk. Can you tell me what I should watch next time? Also, from the explanations on how to make them I understood that I was not supposed to melt the butter, just put it in there directly.
Where did I go wrong? I love their taste but they are not cupcakes for sure and they were not at all moist. Please help me learn how to do better next time!
I’m so sorry you had trouble with the cupcakes! Buttermilk is supposed to be thick and sour, so I would try that. You could also make your own buttermilk using the substitution here: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/substitutions/. You are correct that the butter should not be melted; it should be soft at room temperature.
Wow! Just made these for a Birthday. SO good. They bake great at high altitude, as well (approx 7500ft). Thanks!
These are AMAZING! I made these last night for a Mexican themed game night and all the ladies went crazy over them. Many took some home “to their husbands” ;) I made them without alcohol because some of the ladies don’t drink, and they were still perfect. I will make these again and again! Thank you!!
Made these last night for a taco bar lunch at work today since we couldn’t have real margaritas! Everyone loved them… Sending them to your website for the recipe.
I was wondering if you could substitute sour cream for the buttermilk? I love cupcakes with sour cream, and a that’s an ingredient I almost always have on hand…
Hi Amy, I’m so happy to hear that the cupcakes were enjoyed! You could try them with the sour cream; I’ve never done so, so I can’t comment on how it might affect the cupcakes, but trying never hurts :)
I have made these three years running for my sister’s birthday and they always get rave reviews! This year I tried a different garnish and I thought I’d share. I made candied lime slices (cut in half) which came in handy because I’m not that great at piping frosting (I’ve previously just slathered it around with a small spatula). There are many recipes for candied lime slices on the web and they’re pretty much all the same. I just modified it to press the limes into a margarita rimmer salt and sugar mixture (more sugar than salt but I did it to taste so I can’t give a measurement). They looked pretty and were a delicious addition to your wonderful recipe!
I made these for a friends 30th birthday party and they were a huge hit! After first tasting the frosting, I did add another shot of tequila and probably another tablespoon of lime juice just to really pack in the margarita flavor. Great recipe and so delicious (and I’m usually not a huge cupcake fan:)).
I am going to make these this week for a birthday celebration coming up but I wanted to know how much zest do you add? I know it says 1 1/2 limes so I am assuming that is to make the lime juice but what about the zest?
Hi Alicia, The 1½ limes is for the zest, too.
Has anyone made these? I made two separate batches yesterday, and BOTH batches did not rise? What a major disappointment … : (
I had the same problem!!! :( I think the reason was that we probably baked them at a higher temperature than we should.
Would one be able to substitute 1% milk rather than use buttermilk?
Hi Sian, I wouldn’t recommend it. You can, however, make your own buttermilk with the substitution near the top of this page: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/substitutions/
Make these as mini cupcakes–they are sweet. Also, I didn’t fully frost the cupcakes again because they are so sweet. They were a huge hit at our annual 4th of July picnic!
Hi there! I made these once before & they were delicious!! I want to make them for a family get-together this weekend, but since I will need a lot more, would like to convert them to mini cupcakes. Any tips on the proper oven temperature & bake time for mini cupcakes?
Hi Stephanie, I would use the same temperature, and start checking for doneness around 8 minutes and go from there.
I just made these and they smell incredible! I’m going to fill them with Lime Curd and take them to a Mexican themed party tonight. I can’t wait! Thank you for the recipe!
These are excellent! I got 17 cupcakes out of the recipe.
Done!!! Realy yummy :)
I made these on the weekend & the only problem was I should’ve made 2 batches because they went so quickly!! Absolutely amazing & I can’t thank you enough for this recipe :-)
I made a 1/2 batch of these and they are DELISH!!!! (Should have made the entire dozen) If I double the full recipe will that be enough batter to make a 6 & 8 inch cake, 2 layers each? How much time would you bake the cake also please?
Thanks for a wonderful recipe! It’s a keeper!
Hi Kristi, I don’t think doubling it will be enough. If you double it, it will be enough for an 8″ or 9″ two layer cake. You’ll need to make more for the 6″ cake. I’m not sure about how long to bake (will need to increase the time slightly), since I haven’t done it before.
are the cupcakes safe for kids
The tequila that’s brushed onto the cupcakes and the tequila in the frosting are not baked off, so that’s a decision you need to make.
I was so excited to make these cupcakes! The frosting did not turn out well though :( It was extremely sweet and I could not taste the lime juice or tequila. I ended up adding more butter (1 stick) and about double the lime juice and tequila. Also, I added in lime zest and upped the salt. It seemed to do the trick. Beautiful pictures though. Any tips on fixing the frosting without so much work lol ?
Hi Katie, It’s really just a matter of preference, especially when you talk about something being too sweet, etc. – I find it really varies person to person. You might find another frosting you like better and add as much tequila as suits your tastes.
Hello, what kind of tip did you use to frost the cupcakes?
Hi Kandace, I used a Wilton 1M tip. Enjoy!
Thank you for such an awesome recipe!!! I made these for a neighborhood taco night and they were a hit! Now I’d like to make as a 12 x 18 sheet cake (perhaps two layer). Any suggestions on baking time and temp?
Has anyone served these to their kids, and did they like them? I’d like to try them but I don’t need them sitting around for only my hubby and I to eat. I’ve made cupcakes that included Kahlua and my kids enjoyed those but coffee and rum are flavors they are familiar with. And for anyone concerned there is more alcohol in cough syrup than one of these cupcakes so the small amount consumed by my child in a cupcake is not of concern to me.
Michelle, I made these for Cinco de Mayo, and they were spectacularly good. I made one small change which everyone thought was a good one. Rather than brush the tops of the cupcakes with more tequila, I used triple sec which is an ingredient in the margaritas I make and enjoy. It was a wonderful addition and rounded out the flavors quite nicely. Thanks, once again, for the inspiration!