In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I thought it was only appropriate that my Cupcake of the Week incorporate tequila in some fashion. The result? Margarita cupcakes!

The recipe uses the cake from my Easter cupcakes (with lime zest added) and a Tequila Lime Buttercream that I found on a blog called Good-Bye Gluten. And for those who are not lovers of tequila – don’t fret. You can barely taste it.

Possible improvements for the future? Make a simple syrup with tequila and brush the tops of each cake before frosting for an extra kick. Also, I really wanted to find gummy lime slices for decorating. That would have been a fun addition! But even without those changes, these are delicious!

 

Decorations

White Sparkling Sugar Crystal Sprinkles (by Wilton)
Other ideas: Gummy lime wedges, straw, umbrella

 

Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Mix well. Then add the lime zest and incorporate evenly throughout. Fill 24 muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cupcakes test done in center. Cool completely.

Frosting:

Cream the butter and shortening in a stand mixer. Add the vanilla, lime juice, zest, and tequila. Mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar. Start with about 1 pound. Add the milk and if the frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar. Add the food coloring (1 green drop to every 3 yellow) and then whip the frosting for 3-5 minutes. Frost cooled cupcakes, then sprinkle sugar around the edges to mimic salt on a margarita glass.