Description
These Strawberry Mango Margarita Cupcakes are a delightful fusion of fruity flavors and festive fun. Featuring a moist vanilla cupcake swirled with vibrant strawberry and mango batters infused with a hint of tequila, they’re topped with a colorful buttercream frosting and finished with a sparkling sugar rim and fresh fruit garnishes. Perfect for parties and celebrations, these cupcakes bring the tropical margarita vibe to your dessert table with a playful twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcake 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
- 4 drops pink food gel + 3 drops red food gel
- 1 tsp strawberry flavouring
- 4 drops yellow food gel
- 1 tsp mango flavouring
- 2 tsp tequila (optional)
Buttercream 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
Decoration
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 10 limes, cut into 40 wedges
- 10 strawberries, washed & halved
- Paper straws (for garnish)
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 prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a hand mixer to blend these dry ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed.
- Add Butter: Add the softened unsalted butter to the dry mixture. Mix on low speed with the hand mixer until the mixture becomes crumbly and resembles coarse sand, which incorporates the butter evenly.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add eggs, full-cream milk, vegetable oil, Greek yoghurt or sour cream, tequila (if using), and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix at low speed just until everything is combined, scraping down the bowl sides as needed. Continue mixing for an additional 20 seconds for even consistency.
- Color and Flavor Batter: Divide the batter evenly into two separate bowls. In the first bowl, add pink and red food gel along with strawberry flavouring, mixing until uniform in color and flavor. In the second bowl, add yellow food gel and mango flavouring, mixing to combine well.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Transfer each flavored batter into separate piping bags. Pipe the yellow mango batter into the cupcake liners first, then swirl the strawberry batter on top to create a marbled effect.
- Bake the Cupcakes: Place the trays in the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cupcake; it should come out clean. Once baked, remove cupcakes and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Frosting: Divide your buttercream frosting into two bowls. Color and flavor one with pink/red food gel and strawberry flavouring, and the other with yellow food gel and mango flavouring. Mix each 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 salt rim of a margarita glass, adding a festive touch.
- Frost & Decorate: Fit a piping bag with an open star tip and fill it with both colors of frosting. Swirl the strawberry and mango frostings atop each cupcake for a beautiful ombré effect. Decorate each cupcake with two lime wedges, half a strawberry, and a paper straw to complete the margarita-inspired look.
Notes
- You can omit tequila for a non-alcoholic version that’s kid-friendly.
- Use a fan-forced oven if possible for more even baking; adjust temperature accordingly if using a conventional oven.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent buttercream from melting.
- For an extra burst of flavor, zest a lime into the batter.
- The food gels are essential for vivid colors; liquid food coloring may alter the consistency of the batter.
