Week 18: Margarita Cupcakes!

Hello!  I apologize again for the belated blog posts; however I have a feeling that until July I will keep apologizing!  Things are crazy busy, had graduation last week and next month is just going to get even crazier (I will do a post on graduation soon). 

So a few weeks ago when I made these cupcakes it was Cinco de Mayo.  I don’t know about you but the first thing when I think Cinco de Mayo is margaritas and that’s where I got inspiration for the week’s cupcake.  The cupcake did taste like a margarita minus not as much tequila.   I actually used less tequila than what the recipe called for as a I only had a nip of tequila.  But you make due with what you have! 

I got the original recipe from: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/05/05/margarita-cupcakes-cinco-de-mayo/

Margarita Cupcakes:

Yields: 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes-

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

Zest and juice of 1 ½ limes

2 tablespoons tequila

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line cupcake tin with paper liners; set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In 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 a 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 will start to look curdled, but don’t worry, it will look better as you go on.  Reduce the mixer speed to 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 better between the cupcake cups.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until just slightly golden and a skewer shows only moist crumbs attached, rotating the pan at the halfway point.

Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack.  Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.

Frosting-

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 ¾ cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon tequila

Pinch of coarse salt

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 scrapping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated.  Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds.  Add the lime juice, tequila and salt mix 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. 

*You can choose to make these without the tequila if you would prefer. 

*If using the lime for decoration I would recommend refrigerating them until eating, but if not using the lime there is no need to refrigerate. 

Love always, aloterella :)