Description
Strawberry Mango Margarita Cupcakes are a delightful, fruity twist on classic cupcakes, featuring vibrant swirls of strawberry and mango flavored batters dyed with colorful gels to mimic a margarita’s festive look. Topped with dual-flavored buttercream frosting and a sugared rim, these cupcakes incorporate tequila for an authentic margarita hint, garnished with lime wedges and fresh strawberries to create a fun, party-ready dessert.
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
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 to prepare for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and fine salt. Use a hand mixer to blend these dry ingredients thoroughly.
- Add Butter: Add softened unsalted butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the texture becomes crumbly and sandy, ensuring the butter is well incorporated.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Introduce eggs, milk, vegetable oil, Greek yoghurt (or sour cream), optional tequila, and vanilla extract to the crumbly mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined, scraping down bowl sides for even blending, then mix an additional 20 seconds.
- Color and Flavor Batter: Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. In one, add pink and red food gels and strawberry flavoring, stirring until color and flavor are uniform. In the other, add yellow food gel and mango flavoring, mixing well.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Transfer each flavored batter into separate piping bags. Pipe the yellow mango batter into cupcake liners first, then swirl the strawberry batter on top to create a marbled effect.
- Bake the Cupcakes: Bake for 40–50 minutes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Frosting: Divide the prepared buttercream into two bowls. Color and flavor one portion with pink/red gel and strawberry flavor, the other with yellow gel and mango flavor. Mix each thoroughly until smooth.
- Sugar Rim Decoration: Lightly brush the circumference of each cooled cupcake with water, then gently roll the rim in granulated sugar to mimic the margarita glass rim effect.
- Frost & Decorate: Fit a piping bag with an open star tip and pipe alternating swirls of both colored frostings atop each cupcake. Complete the decoration with two lime wedges, a half strawberry on top, and optionally add a paper straw for a festive margarita appearance.
Notes
- Tequila is optional; omit for a non-alcoholic version suitable for all guests.
- Use fresh lime wedges and strawberries for the best garnish presentation and flavor.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Adjust oven temperature if not using a fan-forced oven, as indicated.
- For vegan adaptation, substitute eggs and dairy products with suitable plant-based alternatives.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
