Strawberry-Lime-Rita Cupcakes
Makes roughly 24 standard cupcakes/72 mini cupcakes
Cupcake Recipe:
2 1/1 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
4 large egg whites (room temperature)
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 ½ Tbsp Tequila
*lime green food coloring
Frosting Recipe:
2 cups shortening
½ stick unsalted butter (softened)
8 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp salt
4 egg whites (room temperature)
¾ tsp Watkins strawberry extract
*pink food coloring
Garnish:
Fresh lime zest
Straw
Sea salt (optional)
Cupcake Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350⁰. Line cupcake pans with paper liners or generously spray pan to avoid sticking.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together milk and egg whites in separate bowl. Put the sugar and lime zest in a mixing bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add butter and with paddle attachment beat at medium speed with your stand mixer until ingredients are light and fluffy. Beat in the extract and lime juice, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Mix in half of the milk/egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, mixing until the batter is well mixed, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Continue beating the mix for another minute or so to ensure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide the batter evenly among prepared liners (fill standard sizes about ¾ the way full and use a tablespoon measurement for the minis). Bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
Lindsey Clark