Description
These Strawberry Mango Margarita Cupcakes are a vibrant and fun treat inspired by tropical margarita flavors. Swirls of strawberry and mango flavored batter are baked into fluffy cupcakes, topped with colorful buttercream frosting, and garnished with sugar rims, fresh strawberries, limes, and festive straws. Optional tequila in the batter adds a grown-up twist, making these cupcakes perfect for parties and celebrations.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cupcakes
- 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)
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
Decorations
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 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.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a hand mixer until well combined.
- Add Butter: Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the mixture becomes crumbly and resembles sand.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add eggs, milk, oil, yogurt (or sour cream), tequila (if using), and vanilla. Mix on low speed until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl, then mix for another 20 seconds.
- Color and Flavor Batter: Divide the batter evenly between two bowls. In one bowl, add the pink and red food gel plus strawberry flavouring, mixing until uniform. In the other bowl, add yellow food gel and mango flavouring, mixing well.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Transfer each batter to separate piping bags. Pipe yellow (mango) batter into cupcake liners, then swirl strawberry batter on top.
- Bake: Bake the cupcakes for 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Frosting: Divide the buttercream into two bowls. Color and flavor one bowl using pink/red gel and strawberry flavour; color and flavor the other with yellow gel and mango flavour. Mix each until smooth.
- Sugar Rim Decoration: Lightly brush the rim of each cooled cupcake with water, then gently roll in granulated sugar to mimic a margarita glass rim.
- Frost & Decorate: Fit a piping bag with an open star tip and swirl both colors of frosting onto each cupcake. Decorate with two lime wedges, a half strawberry, and a paper straw to complete the margarita look.
Notes
- Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
- Tequila is optional; skip for a non-alcoholic version.
- Use high-quality food gels for vibrant color without thinning the batter.
- Make sure cupcakes are completely cool before frosting and decorating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 27g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
