Margarita Cupcakes With Key Lime Icing Food

MARGARITA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line 20 muffin cups with paper liners. Combine the first 5 ingredients. Beat on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium 2 minutes., Fill prepared cups half full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons lime juice, meringue powder and water. Whisk until frothy. Add confectioners' sugar, shortening, and remaining lime juice. Beat until smooth; frost cupcakes. If desired, garnish with lime zest and slices.

MARGARITA CUPCAKES WITH KEY LIME ICING

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine cake mix, Margarita mix, egg whites and vegetable oil using electric mixer.
• Stir in lime zest; mix completely.
• Fill prepared pans 2/3 full.
• Bake according to box directions (usually 325 degrees - be sure to check box!) 22-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on cooling rack 5-8 minutes.
• Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely.
• FOR ICING:.
• In large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, juice and zest with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Add 4 cups confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time; continue beating until light and fluffy.
• If icing is too thin add additional confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.

MARGARITA CAKE WITH KEY LIME CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cake mix, egg whites, frozen margarita mix, vegetable oil, lime zest, and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center shows moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Cake will be very moist. Cool in the pan.
• To make frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy, and stir in the lemon peel and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl thoroughly with a spatula after each addition. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.

MARGARITA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and coarse salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; beat in zest. Combine buttermilk and remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk mixture, and beating until just combined after each. Pour 1/4 cup batter into each tin, firmly tapping pans to level batter.
• Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cupcakes spring back to the touch and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely.
• Fill a small piping bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #4) with lime curd. Insert tip into center of each cupcake and pipe until cupcake begins to mound on top. Dollop each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons cream cheese frosting, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt and lime zest.