Margarita Cupcakes

I stumbled across a dream of a food blog the other day which has filled me with envy and a whole new list of things I want to try. I still had an excess of Mexican ingredients including a lot of limes and a tiny splash of tequila that somehow got missed so when I spotted a recipe for margarita cupcakes I just had to try them. The recipe from the amazing food blog is here but sadly the measurements are in the American system so I had to do a little conversion of all the ingredients. Luckily for you I wrote these measurements down and will now share them with you. This recipe makes really lovely cakes and I've been told by the boss and chums at work that they are my best lot yet.

Margarita Cupcakes

Margarita Cupcakes:
makes 12-16

110g softened butter
225g caster sugar
2 eggs
2 limes, grated zest and juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
4 fl oz buttermilk
225g self-raising flour (I think you're meant to use plain but self raising gives more air in your cakes)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp tequila, for brushing the tops of the cakes

The recipe tells you to mix the batter in a different way to how I did mine. Its just the way I know best and means you can get a lot of air in the eggs before adding the dry ingredients.

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 3/160°C
2. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy then add the eggs and continue to mix on medium speed so that you get some air in to them. After doing so add the lime zest and juice and the vanilla. Give it a little mix but don't worry if it separates, it will all come together.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and then slowly fold in a third to the egg mix. Next add a third of the butter milk. Continue like this until both have been added fully and it has just come together. You don't want to over mix the flour or beat out the air. 
4. Divide in top cupcake cases and fill about 1/2 or 3/4 full. You don't want them to over flow during baking as mine did.
5. Bake for 20/22 minutes until firm to touch and a skewer comes out clean. Don't be alarmed if they are quite pale on top, mine were like that too. Just ensure they are cooked through. Let them cool on a wire rack but while they are still warm brush the tops with the tequila.

Tequila-lime Frosting

225g butter

375g icing sugar

1 1/2 tbsp lime

1 tbsp tequila 

pinch of salt

Mix the butter and sugar with an electric whisk for about 5 minutes to get it really light and fluffy (I've never actually taken the time to do this apart from for this recipe and it really makes a difference! The icing came out amazingly!) Once this is done add the lime, tequila and salt. Give it a taste and add more tequila if you think its needed.

Once the cupcakes have cooled either spread the icing on top or use a piping bag. Garnish with a little grated lime zest.