Pink Señorita Margarita Cupcakes

Like a margarita with a softer, cuter side, the Señorita ditches limes for pink lemonade and lemon juice. Pink Señorita Margarita Cupcakes are a nice alternative to the expected margarita flavor and perfect for your Cinco de Mayo celebration. These light and fluffy pink cupcakes have a beautiful delicate lemony flavor, soaked with some fresh lemon margarita and frosted with tequila spiked lemon buttercream.

I’ve been experimenting with different designs on my cupcakes. Warm weather and margaritas bring cactus to my mind so for these Pink Señorita Margarita Cupcakes I gave frosting succulents a try.

Use my Fluffy Vanilla White Cake recipe, substituting two tablespoons of lemon extract for the vanilla extract and add a very small amount of pink gel food color to give a nice pink color to the batter. Lemon extract is available at most grocery stores and pink gel food color at Walmart and Michael’s.

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Fluffy Vanilla White Cake

Pure white vanilla cake is creamy and sweet yet light and fluffy.

Servings: 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cake Batter

• 1 2/3 cups cake flour Don't use regular flour or it will turn out differnt.
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Use avacado oil if possible.
• 1 cup full fat buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites

Cinnamon Sugar

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.

Make the Cake Batter

• Seperate the eggs. Using a mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Place in seperate bowl.
• In medium bowl, combine 1 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter. Add vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla and mix.
• Place flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
• With mixer on low pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture. When combined, turn to medium speed and mix for 2-3 minutes untill smooth and light.
• Add whipped egg whites and blend on low speed just until mixed. Do not overmix.

Make Cinnamon Sugar

• Combine 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.

Assemble the Cupcakes

• Place 2-3 tablespoons of cake batter in cupcake liners. Spoon on about a teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Add 2-3 more tablespoons of cake batter. Sprinke a bit more of the cinnamon sugar mixture on the top of the cake batter.

Notes

The fluffy texture of this cake is dependent on gently folding the whipped egg whites into the batter in the last step of the process.

Use cake flour for a smooth, light crumb.

Use only full fat buttermilk.

These cupcakes get their wonderful lemonade flavor from a few spoonfuls of lemon margarita you brush on top of the cooled cupcakes. I used a good white or clear tequila so the lovely pink color would not be affected.

I’ve been experimenting with different methods of decorating: flowers, swirls and designs, succulents. For a pink lemonade margarita cupcake, cactus frosting decorations seem perfect. Use this standard buttercream frosting, smooth and creamy and excellent for piping designs. Instead of vanilla, use 1 teaspoon lemon oil or 2 tablespoons lemon extract and 2 tablespoons of white tequila. Reduce the heavy cream to 1-2 tablespoons.

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Smooth and Creamy Buttercream Frosting

This is a super easy, smooth and delicious American Buttercream frosting great for decorating cupcakes and piping flowers.

Ingredients

• 8 cups powdered sugar (or 2 pounds)
• 2 cups salted sweet cream butter, softened (1 pound)
• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

• Cut the butter into one tablespoon sized pieces then beat with a paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix completely.
  
• Sift powdered sugar then mix into butter slowly until incorporated.
  
• Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until completly mixed, scrape sides of bowl often.
• With mixer on medium speed, add cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the proper consistency is reached.

This frosting is a delicious topping to the pink lemonade flavored cupcake, subtly lemony and a slight hint of tequila.

Although I am definitely not an expert at piping succulents, these little cupcakes turned out really great and it was easy to achieve recognizable succulents and cactus. Check out the advise on a few of my favorite websites for helpful how-to instructions: I AM BAKER, Wilton, Craftsy. I used three shades of green and a bit of dark pink for the flowers…even desert scapes have beautiful color! Add white sprinkles for needles to finish the look.

These cupcakes are stunning and they taste incredible.