Mini Margarita Cupcakes, festive bite-sized cupcakes with margarita flavors!
Margarita cupcakes are so fun! Made with a yummy lime flavored cake with a secret ingredient to make them super moist.
Topped with tequila-spiked buttercream, a sprinkle of sugar (or salt!), and a gummy lime garnish, wow!
You guys! Not only are these mini cupcakes super cute, they are SO SO delicious too!
The ingredients in the cake batter might seem a little weird to you, but trust me on this. This is THE moistest and richest white cake I have ever made or eaten.
I’m making these into regular sized cupcakes ASAP, that’s how good these are.
I don’t like tequila, can I use another liquor in the buttercream?
I’m not a huge fan of tequila myself, so I totally get it. Yes, I recommend substituting rum in place of tequila for this particular recipe.
Alternatively, you can leave out the alcohol altogether and use lime juice or just milk to make a classic buttercream.
Margarita Cupcakes Directions:
- Make cupcake batter by whisking dry ingredients together and setting aside. Cream together butter and cream cheese (yes, cream cheese) until smooth, add sugar and cream together. Add egg whites, vanilla and mix. Alternate adding dry ingredients, lime juice, and milk until fully combined, scraping sides if necessary.
- Fill mini cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 11-13 minutes in a 350-degree oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
- While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by creaming the butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, mix to combine. Add tequila and mix to combine, whip on medium setting for 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Frost cupcakes once completely cool. Add a sprinkle of coarse raw sugar (if desired, you can also add a sprinkle of flake salt to mimic a margarita rim.) Top with gummy lime, optional, or fresh lime wedges, optional.
Alternatives and Add-Ons:
Feel free to skip the homemade cake batter and just use a boxed white cake mix. Substitute half of the water called for with freshly squeezed lime juice!
Want more of a lime kick? Add lime zest to the batter and frosting!
To mimic a traditional margarita salt rim, sprinkle kosher or flake salt on top of the buttercream. If you don’t like that, no worries a sprinkle of raw sugar (like I did in these photos) will give the same crunchy effect. Or, totally leave it off, no worries!
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Tools used for this recipe:
- Stand mixer for the cake batter and buttercream.
- Or, you can use a hand mixer for it as well.
- I love these measuring cups
- Mini Cupcake Tin
- Mini Cupcake Liners
- Wire rack for cooling
- Pastry bag for piping on the frosting
- I used this star tip in the photos.
More fun drink-inspired cupcakes from my favorite bloggers:
Tequila frosting adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Mini Margarita Cupcakes
Ingredients
Mini Lime Cupcakes
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1/2 cup milk
Tequila Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons tequila*
- pinch kosher salt
Cupcake Assembly
- kosher salt for garnish** optional
- mini lime gummies for garnish*** optional
Instructions
Mini Lime Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, if using a hand mixer) cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix to combine. Alternating between the dry mixture, the lime juice, and the milk, add slowly to batter until fully combined. Scrape the sides as needed.
Fill mini cupcakes liners in a mini cupcake tin 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 11-13 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. A few small crumbs are okay, but any wet batter and they need longer. Place on a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool, pop out and place directly on the rack to cool completely.
Tequila Buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) cream the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar in a little at a time until incorporated, scraping sides as needed.
Add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the tequila, continue to mix. Beat for 2 minutes until fluffy. If the frosting seems a little thick, add the 4th tablespoon of tequila and mix to combine. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, top with frosting.
Add the garnish of a small amount of kosher salt sprinkled on top and a gummy lime.
Recipe Notes
*If you don't want to use tequila, substitute another liquor, lime juice or milk.
**Coarse raw sugar can be substituted here, or leave it off.
***Fresh lime wedges can be used in the gummies place, or leave them off completely.
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The lime slices are so fun! And I’m totally down for boozy desserts!
These cupcakes sound divine and they are SO cute!