Deliciously soft and moist margarita cupcakes begin with a simple sweet lime cupcake base and are topped with fluffy tequila lime frosting. Like classic margaritas, these cupcakes are full of zippy, fresh lime flavor. See my recipe note for a non-alcoholic version. Cheers!
Today’s margarita cupcakes get you in the mood for vacation, are the perfect dessert for warm spring/summer weather, are great for Cinco de Mayo, and satisfy your margarita craving. They’re buttery and moist with a light fluffy texture and fresh, tangy lime flavor. Out of the dozens of cupcakes I’ve made, these lime cupcakes are towards the tippy top. They’re everything we expect from a margarita in cupcake form.
If you love these cupcakes, you’ll also love these mini margarita cheesecakes. (Because, yes, I have a recipe for those too!) We’re eating our margs, ok?
These Margarita Cupcakes Are:
- Light and fluffy
- Ultra moist
- Packed with fresh lime flavor (just like these coconut lime cookies)
- Topped with tequila lime frosting
- Everything we love about margaritas in cupcake form
- Great for parties and celebrations
Let’s Make these Margarita Cupcakes!
These lime cupcakes are incredibly simple to prepare. Using my lemon cupcakes as the starting point, I replaced lemon with lime. I’m a firm believer in finding a bunch of quality base recipes, then developing new flavors and combinations from there. Like lime cupcakes from lemon cupcakes. There wasn’t enough lime flavor for it to really shine through, so I added a little more zest to these. Here’s an overview of how to make these cupcakes:
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Cream the wet ingredients together. Begin by creaming the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add some of the dry ingredients alternating with some of the milk until it’s all mixed. Mix in the lime zest and juice.
- Fill the cupcake liners. These cupcakes rise a lot, so remember to only fill your cupcake liners about halfway.
- Bake.
- Brush the warm cupcakes with tequila. This infuses extra tequila flavor.
- Frost the completely cooled cupcakes.
Baker’s Tip: Try adding 1 cup of berries to the batter before filling the cupcake liners. Blackberry lime margarita cupcakes sound delicious, right?
How to Make Tequila Lime Frosting
While most of my frosting recipes are made with cream for a super smooth consistency, today’s frosting recipe is cream free. How? Tequila! We use standard frosting ingredients like softened butter and confectioners’ sugar, but replace the cream with tequila—only about 3-4 Tablespoons total.
Beat the butter until it’s silky smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on high speed. Then, add the confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time to maintain the ultra smooth consistency and add even more fluff. Once creamy and combined, beat in the tequila, vanilla extract, and lime flavoring. I also like to add a little salt to this frosting. Just a pinch or two to cut down on sweetness and because salted rims are the best part of an actual margarita. Taste and add more salt or flavoring as needed.
This is not salty, heavily tequila flavored frosting. You’ll mostly taste sweet lime with a hint of tequila. 🙂
For lime flavor in the frosting, you have a couple options.
- Lime extract or lime oil. These are specialty ingredients that you’d have to order, but I highly suggest picking up a bottle. I recommend starting with 2 teaspoons of lime extract or 1 teaspoon of lime oil, but taste as you beat it in and add more as you find necessary. I also prefer lime extract or lime oil because it has incredibly concentrated flavor as opposed to just lime juice and lime zest (next option).
- Lime juice and lime zest. Adding enough lime juice for flavor will thin out your frosting, making it more difficult to pipe. Similarly, lime zest in your frosting complicates piping because the little chunks can get stuck in the piping tip.
If piping isn’t a concern and you’d like to just free-hand swipe frosting on top, you can use lime juice and lime zest together. If you’re going for looks and a true thick buttercream texture, pick up some lime extract or lime oil.
PS: Strawberry buttercream frosting would be delicious with these cupcakes, too!
Decorating Margarita Cupcakes
You have a few options! I used a Wilton 1M tip for today’s cupcakes, but you could certainly use a Wilton #12 round tip. Here are even more of my favorite piping tips with a video tutorial showing you how to use each. Garnish frosted cupcakes with lime slices, lime zest, coarse sugar, or even strawberries.
Print
Margarita Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes or 30 mini cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Margarita cupcakes begin with a simple sweet lime cupcake base and are topped with fluffy tequila lime frosting!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk*
- zest + fresh juice of 3 medium limes*
- optional: 2 Tablespoons tequila (for brushing in step 5)
Tequila Lime Frosting
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3–4 Tablespoons (45-60ml) tequila*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- lime flavoring (please see notes—there are options)*
- pinch of salt, to taste
- optional: lime slices, lime zest, and/or coarse sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add some of the dry ingredients alternating with some of the milk until all is mixed. Increase to high speed and beat in the lime zest and juice until incorporated. Try to avoid overmixing.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners—fill only 1/2 – 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11-13 minutes, same oven temperature. While still warm, brush finished cupcakes with tequila. This infuses extra tequila flavor. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low at first then increasing to high speed. Once incorporated, add the next cup. Once creamy and combined, beat in the tequila, vanilla extract, lime flavoring, and pinch of salt on high speed. Taste. Add more salt or flavoring as needed.
- Frost cooled cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M tip for these photos. (Another favorite is this Wilton #12 round tip.) Garnish with lime slices, lime zest, or coarse sugar.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Leftover cupcakes keep well covered tightly in the refrigerator for 3 days. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton 1M Tip (or another piping tip like Wilton #12 Round) | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer
- Milk: For richest taste and texture, I strongly recommend whole milk or buttermilk.
- Lime Zest & Juice: You’ll want about 2 Tablespoons zest and 1/4 cup lime juice.
- Tequila: Any tequila works! Want them alcohol free? Use 3 Tbsp of milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream instead.
- Lime Flavoring: 2 options! You can use 2 teaspoons lime extract or 1 teaspoon lime oil. Start with those amounts then taste the frosting and add more to taste. I use exactly 2 teaspoons of key lime flavoring when I make these. You can use 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice and lime zest from 1 lime instead. Zest is optional. This amount of lime juice will add flavor, but it will thin out the frosting. The zest makes it difficult to pipe. See the post above for more detail.
Reader Comments and Reviews
omg. I have made these several times and they are SUCH a crowd-pleaser. I ran out of lime stuff when I made the frosting, so I just left it out for a more “salted tequila buttercream” and it still tasted great.
If I want to reduce the amount of tequila but not eliminate it entirely can I use half tequila / half half-and-half?
Hi Rachel, are you talking about in the frosting? Yes, that should be fine!
These cupcakes are amazing!!! The icing with the tequila??? Yummo
Made these for a ladies muu muu margarita party! Everyone loves loved!!
These went over great! I didn’t have time to find the lime extract, so I made the frosting with lime juice & zest. I reduced the amount of tequila in the frosting to prioritize the lime flavor and avoid runniness. The consistency was a bit…odd, which might’ve been because of the acidity. I would like to try using lime flavoring next time.
As is, the frosting is much too sweet for me. (I tend to dislike American buttercreams.) I decided to use Maldon flaky salt instead of sugar to top them, and I found that to be the right call despite the recipe suggesting not to do it. If I’d had lime extract, I would’ve tried ermine frosting like someone else did, but I was afraid of curdling the frosting with lime juice.
How many blackberries would you add? And at what stage, right before adding to the cupcake tin? Also, how would your blackberry frosting work with these?
Hi Kelly, you could fold in 1 cup of blackberries after the batter is mixed together. Blackberry frosting would be lovely, but they may taste less like a margarita without the tequila lime frosting – they would be more like a lime blackberry cupcake. Still delicious!
When the cupcake is so good you whisper, “Oh my god, Sally, yes,” out loud… absolutely amazing recipe. Garnished with lime curls and coarse sugar. Delightful!!!!
Hi. I love your recipes. I just made the soft oatmeal. Yum. I’m looking at this recipe and not sure if I just use the lime extract in the frosting or if I can use it in the cake recipe as well?
Hi Chris, you could add some to the cupcakes as well if you would like.
These turned out great. The cupcakes were fluffy but held filling and frosting beautifully. I added a mango curd filling and topped with the frosting as written plus a tiny pinch Tajin and lime wedge. Very tasty and perfect for Cinco de Mayo.
I was wondering about a sprinkle of salt. Tajin sounds great! What did your guest say?
Delicious and spot on of flavor!
This was an amazing recipe, I have had it saved for a while. And finally was able to make them. Love all your work, always the first place I look. I added a little salt rim around the frosting because why not. And it was a great addition. Thank you for your amazing recipes!
Yes, I want to try salt!!
I’ve made these and they were a hit. Can this be made into a layer cake?
Hi Jonetta, absolutely. This amount of batter will yield a 3 layer, 6 inch cake. To scale for other sizes, this cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful.
These are fantastic! I have made several times using fresh lime juice and zest and not the extract and had no problems. Big hit every time I make them.
Hi Sally , I actually have a question about your Pina Colada cupcakes.It wont let me comment on that recipe.I would like more pineapple flavor to come through. Can I substitute half of the coconut milk with more pineapple juice or whole milk? I don’t want to ruin the texture.Thanks!
Hi Gina, that should work just fine to replace the coconut milk with more pineapple juice. Hope this helps!
I was wondering why you don’t use cake flour for this recipe. Will it make a difference?
Thanks
Hi Aileen, the cupcakes are already quite light. Feel free to swap it in if you want to try it, though.
Another home run! I was a little concerned about using the full 2 teaspoons of lime flavoring after reading other reviews, but after putting 1 teaspoon in it clearly didn’t have enough flavor. I put the other teaspoon in and it was perfect! These are amazing and I’m excited about sharing them with my husband’s family today.
I love the simplicity of this recipe so I want to use this one and add margarita mix to the cupcake batter. How would I go about doing that?
Hi Nikki, that would take some recipe testing to ensure results. If you want to do some experimenting, you could start by reducing some of the milk and/or lime juice and replacing with margarita mix. Let us know what you try!
Genius! Thank you so much! I will absolutely let you know how it goes 🙂
Wow! These are just amazing, so moist, so tender, so limey-Margarita delicious. I was super careful to only fill halfway and ended up with 18 cupcakes which was GREAT as I gave a couple to our dog sitters then took the rest to a party where they disappeared in record time. Definitely making these on the regular!!! Thanks for another great recipe!!!
I made mini cupcakes for a cinco party. This recipe yields 48 minis and they were a hit!!
I made this last year for Cinco de Mayo and my co-workers from Mexico couldn’t believe how great they were, this year they started asking me in March if I were going to be making them again LOL. Just finished a double batch and tomorrow is Sies de Mayo at work!
I’m a devoted Sally’s baker. By far my favorite baking site. I’ve made dozens of these recipes, and this was one of my only disappointments. I was a little skeptical about using lime extract in the buttercream, but decided to go for it because Sally endorsed it and the reviews were so good. But, even using a little less than what the recipe called for, the buttercream tasted cloying and fake – like a can of 7Up. The cake was divine, but consider using the lime juice/zest route for the buttercream if you don’t like a very sweet, very synthetic lime flavor. Or I might even fill them with lime curd and use a just use a vanilla-tequila buttercream instead of making lime buttercream. A rare miss, but I’m already looking for my next Sally’s recipe for this weekend’s bake.
Try “True Lime” packets, works to get real lime flavor without making things too runny! I use it in frosting and whipped cream all the time! Cooking too
I used fresh squeezed lime juice and the zest of one lime for the flavoring in the frosting and it really does taste like a margarita.
I love all your recipes! I was wondering if I could use 2- 8inch pans instead of 3- 6 inch cake pans when using your margarita cupcake recipe?
Hi JP, This batter is the perfect amount for 3, 6 inch layers following the baking time and directions from this 6 inch cakes post.
Hi! I love these cupcakes!! Can I make it as a cake instead of cupcakes? If so, please can you advise on how!
Hi Kitty, definitely! This batter is the perfect amount for 3, 6 inch layers following the baking time and directions from this 6 inch cakes post. Or, this cake pan sizes and conversions guide can help you scale it for different pan sizes. Enjoy!
I have made these cupcakes twice! They have been a big hit every single time. Once they were even a hit at a Mexican restaurant. They declared it tasted just like a margarita. This is definitely going into my recipe box.
When storing the cupcakes, can they be stored frosted? And should the cupcakes be refrigerated once frosted.
Hi Angela, the frosted cupcakes will be fine stored at room temperature for up to a day, or for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, see make ahead/freezing instructions in the recipe Notes.
What if I am making them without alcohol?
Can I add some osmosis the margarita mix to the frosting?
Hi Sharen, you could try that in place of the tequila, keeping in mind that the frosting may be extra sweet as margarita mix typically has sugar in it.