28 Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

I'm such a slacker as a blogger and I apologize. Since it's too early for New Year's resolutions just yet, I'm making it my December resolution to get back in the swing of things and start baking all the time like I used to. And surprise! It's taken a birthday of a coworker to twist my arm back into making cupcakes. I'm finally getting to use the baking appropriate things that I got for my birthday about a month ago. Thanks Mom for my apron covered in cupcakes... how perfect! Anyway... enough about me, let's get to the cupcakes.

Everything was easy to get for these cupcakes. You can get cheap tequila and margarita mix at the liquor store. Not hard to find at all. Now I did sort of drop the ball when it came to a few other ingredients. I forgot to get a lime, so there wasn't any lime zest in my cupcakes. No big deal really. And I used strawberry jelly instead of preserves, until I ran out of that and then I got the rest of the remaining 1/2 tablespoon out of the strawberry ice cream topping. My problem was that I had already been to the grocery store in town once that morning. I already feel like I live there so I wasn't running back.

So despite my lack of preparation, I feel like it all came together alright. The batter looked gross and curdled just like the recipe warned. After I had all the ingredients mixed in, it was still a little clumpy, but I still went on. I filled the liners up the standard 2/3 full. The recipe says to divide it between 24 cupcakes, that would work. I'm just always nervous that they'll bake over. I had a few really full ones, and they ended up beautifully domed and perfect. So don't be afraid to fill them up! You'll have very pretty cupcakes. I kept them in for the full 20 minutes. They looked a little dense, but knowing that I'd be pouring glaze all over them, I figured it would be okay.

I'm going to start talking about the glaze by mentioning that you shouldn't ignore all the red flags when you don't have everything. I had to run to the store to make the glaze even though I fought it earlier when I needed stuff. I had to run to the store so I could get more strawberry preserves and powdered sugar (a staple of my kitchen). Oh well. When I finally started making the glaze, I added the powdered sugar to the liquids in a measuring cup, so I could just pour the glaze over the cupcakes instead of spooning it on. I left the cupcakes in the pans to add the glaze just in case the paper liners wouldn't hold it. I didn't really have a problem, but I would recommend doing it that way just to be safe. I used a chop stick to poke the holes. Although the recipe says that you might have glaze over, I had the perfect amount, but I also made 4 extra cupcakes.

The frosting was as easy to make as frosting always is. I made a few changes. Instead of adding 3 tablespoons of margarita mix, I substituted one tablespoon with tequila, since everyone I work with likes to taste the alcohol in their cupcakes. After everything was mixed together, I didn't think that the icing tasted lime-y enough, so I threw in a dash of lime juice. Well after the taste test, my mom said the icing tasted too much like lime. So, in the end, I put a little scoop of strawberry topping on the top of the cupcake to bring it all together.

I'm on the fence about these cupcakes. Of course everyone at work went crazy for them and told me they were amazing and all that. Maybe I'm just my toughest critic. For me, the cupcakes were a little dense, but that helped a lot with letting the glaze soak in. The cream cheese icing was great, like cream cheese icing always is. I would make these cupcakes again for sure though.


Cupcake Ingredients
3 c cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c unsalted butter
1 c sugar
1/2 c margarita mix
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
5 Tbsp strawberry preserves
1/3 tequila
3 eggs
1/2 c milk

Cupcake How to
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add margarita mix, lime juice, lime zest, strawberry preserves, and tequila and mix on low speed to incorporate. (Mix may appear slightly curdled at this point, but don't worry, it will come back together with flour)
5. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 the milk, and repeat mixing after each addition until just incorporated, ending with the flour mixture.
7. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners and bake approximately 20 minutes. Cool approximately 10 minutes.

Curled Looking Batter

Glaze Ingredients
1/2 c margarita mix
2 Tbsp tequila
1/2 c powdered sugar
Red food coloring

Glaze How to
1. Put powdered sugar in a small bowl, whisk in margarita mix and tequila to make a tick liquid glaze. Add a few drops of red food coloring to desired color.
2. Poke 4-5 holes in each cooled cupcake with a wooden skewer.
3. Spoon glaze over cupcakes, about a tablespoon at a time, giving the glaze a chance to absorb before adding more. You may have glaze left over.

Frosting Ingredients
1/2 c unsalted butter
8 oz cream cheese
4-6 c powdered sugar
3 Tbsp margarita mix
2 Tbsp strawberry preserves
Red food coloring

Frosting How to
1. Beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
2. Add margarita mix and preserves and beat until will incorporated.
3. Add sugar one cup at a time until frosting is desired consistency.
4. Add a few drops of red food coloring to tin frosting.
5. Pipe frosting on cupcakes as desired. Top with sliced strawberries for garnish.