Boozy Margarita Cupcakes with Tequila Lime Frosting

Margarita Cupcakes are loaded with lime and tequila. These moist and tender tequila cupcakes will draw you in with incredible ribbons of lime zest throughout. The icing on the cupcake? A true Margarita frosting! Perfect for Cinco de Mayo or a perfect dessert for summer! 

 

I think that this is such a fun dessert! When you’re craving a sweet treat to pair with the rest of your Mexican food, you can’t go wrong with this!

It’s also a fun dessert for summer parties and a great way to make boozy desserts. 

These frosted cupcakes are likely better than taking actual tequila shots, so gather the simple ingredients needed to make these easy margarita cupcakes and have fun.

I love the touch of lime flavor that is in the cupcake batter and frosting! 

You will taste a bit of the tequila flavor of this great recipe – so be prepared for that. It’s not super strong, but it’s there! 

Margarita Cupcakes

Frosting spiked with Cuervo Gold tequila and triple sec is brightened with fresh lime juice to make these the most amazing margarita cupcakes you will ever sink your teeth into!

The cake is so tender, light, and fluffy — and so easy to make. No special tricks or methods, just be sure to add the dry ingredients as listed.

Need an entree to pair with these boozy cupcakes? You can’t go wrong with my Margarita Chicken! 

And if tequila is not your thing, try my Bailey’s Brownies or cool down with a Strawberry Wine Ice Cream Float. 

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Cake Flour – With a lower protein content, this variety produces a lighter, fluffier crumb than all-purpose.
  
  Make a homemade version by replacing 2 tablespoons per cup of all-purpose flour with cornstarch.
  
• Tequila – I prefer to use Gold for this margarita cupcake recipe. Choose a bottle that you like to drink!
  
• Limes – Zest first, then juice, to get the largest amount of each. Avoid the white layer (pith) when zesting as it has a bitter taste.
  
• Buttermilk – This ingredient adds loads of moisture to this lime dessert, plus a pleasantly subtle tang. 
  
  If you don’t have any, make a simple substitute with regular milk and lemon juice or white vinegar.
  
• Triple Sec – Use this orange-flavored liqueur in the frosting for these margarita cupcakes. 
  
  It’s a classic margarita ingredient! Grand Marnier will also work in a pinch.

Tips for Making Boozy Cupcakes

• Bring ingredients to room temperature.

When everything is at the same temperature, the ingredients blend together much smoother — meaning a lime dessert batter without any lumps.

Set the butter, eggs, and measured buttermilk on the counter for about 30-45 minutes before starting this margarita cupcake recipe.

• Adjust the frosting consistency.

If your lime dessert frosting is too thin, thicken it with more powdered sugar — about 1 tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached. 

Too thick? Use the same method, but with cold water instead of sugar. Keep in mind that buttercream should be a bit stiff so it holds its shape when piped.

• Don’t forget the garnish!

Pairing cocktail flavors with colorful toppings is half the fun of boozy cupcakes. Save some lime zest and mix it with orange zest to bring out the flavor of the triple sec. 

Add lime slices, and you’ve got a bakery-worthy treat! Make it even more fun by inserting a trimmed paper straw off to the side.

Margarita Cupcake Recipe FAQ

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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Other Cupcake Recipes

Boozy Margarita Cupcakes with Tequila Lime Frosting

Donna Elick

Margarita Cupcakes are loaded with lime and tequila. Fluffy boozy cupcakes topped with margarita buttercream are the ultimate lime dessert!

5 stars from 5 reviews

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Prep Time 7 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 29 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Method Oven

Servings 24

Equipment

• stand mixer

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

For The Cupcakes

• ▢ 3 cups cake flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 4 limes – zested and juiced, 2 tablespoon zest, 1/2 cup juice
• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks, at room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/4 cup Cuervo Gold Tequila
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk, or make your own

Boozy Margarita Frosting

• ▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup shortening
• ▢ 1/4 cup Cuervo Gold Tequila
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons triple sec
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 5 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

 

For The Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl that you will prepare cupcake batter, add lime zest and sugar and mash together with a fork (or your fingers), until your sugar is coated in lime oils. Attach bowl to stand mixer and use paddle attachment (or prepare electric mixer). Add butter and whip until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add lime juice and tequila. Your mixture may start to look funny here, just continue on with the next step. It will work itself out.
• With mixer on low add dry and wet ingredients; add 1/3 dry ingredients to bowl, allow that to combine. Then add 1/2 of buttermilk wait for that to combine. Add another 1/3 of dry ingredients and mix. Add other 1/2 of buttermilk and mix. Then finally add remaining dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Stop to scrape down the bowl as often as needed. Do not over mix.
• Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with few moist crumbs.
• Cool on a wire rack. Frost cupcakes with Boozy Margarita Frosting when completely cool.

Boozy Margarita Frosting

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and shortening on medium speed until completely smooth (about 1 minute). Add 3 cups of powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, beat until well combined after each addition. Add tequila, lime juice, triple sec and salt, beat to combine. Add remaining powdered sugar one cup at a time. Beat completed mixture for another minute or so until the batter is smooth and fluffy.
• If frosting is too thin, add powdered sugar to thicken it, about 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
• If frosting is too thick, add cold water a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 393cal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 198mg | Sugar: 42g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published July 2012, updated and republished July 2024

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