Description
These Strawberry Mango Margarita Cupcakes are vibrant, flavorful treats inspired by the classic margarita cocktail. Featuring swirls of strawberry and mango flavored batters, these cupcakes are baked to perfection and topped with colorful American or Swiss meringue buttercream frostings. Finished with a sugar-rim decoration and garnishes of fresh lime wedges and strawberries, they deliver a festive, refreshing dessert perfect for parties or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 3 1/2 cups (430 g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups (265 g) caster superfine sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup (125 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) full-cream whole milk
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt or sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 tsp tequila (optional)
- 4 drops pink food gel + 3 drops red food gel
- 1 tsp strawberry flavouring
- 4 drops yellow food gel
- 1 tsp mango flavouring
Frosting
- 1 batch American buttercream frosting or Swiss meringue buttercream frosting
- 5 drops pink food gel + 3 drops red food gel
- 1 tsp strawberry flavouring
- 5 drops yellow food gel
- 1 tsp mango flavouring
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Decorations
- 10 limes, cut into 40 wedges
- 10 strawberries, washed & halved
Instructions
- Preheat & Prepare Tins: Preheat a fan-forced oven to 140°C (275°F) or a conventional oven to 160°C (320°F). Line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners to prepare for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and fine salt. Use a hand mixer to blend these dry ingredients thoroughly.
- Add Butter: Add the softened unsalted butter to the dry mixture and mix on a low speed until the texture becomes crumbly resembling sand.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add the eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, Greek yoghurt or sour cream, tequila (if using), and vanilla extract. Mix slowly until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl, then mix for an additional 20 seconds to ensure even incorporation without overmixing.
- Color and Flavor Batter: Divide the batter evenly into two separate bowls. Into one bowl, add pink and red food gels along with strawberry flavouring and mix until uniform. Into the other, add yellow food gel and mango flavouring and mix well.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Transfer each flavored batter into separate piping bags. Pipe the yellow mango batter into cupcake liners first, then swirl a layer of the strawberry batter on top to create a vibrant marbled effect.
- Bake: Place the cupcake tins in the preheated oven and bake for 40–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Frosting: Divide the prepared buttercream frosting into two bowls. Color and flavor one bowl with pink/red food gels and strawberry flavouring, and the other with yellow food gel and mango flavouring. Mix each bowl until smooth and evenly colored.
- Sugar Rim Decoration: Lightly brush the rims of each cooled cupcake with water, then gently roll them in granulated sugar to mimic the appearance of a margarita glass rim.
- Frost and Decorate: Fit a piping bag with an open star tip and pipe swirls of both colored frostings onto each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with two lime wedges and half a strawberry, and optionally add a paper straw to complete the margarita look.
Notes
- If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, the tequila is optional and may be omitted without affecting texture.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cool before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
- The sugar rim adds a fun margarita glass effect but can be skipped if preferred.
- Use fresh limes and strawberries for the best garnish presentation and flavor.
- You can substitute caster sugar with regular granulated sugar if needed, but caster sugar creates a finer crumb.
