Cinco De Cupcake

You know who you are. You cupcake purists who make those wonderful gems of sweetness from scratch. You experiment with flavors no one has heard of. You engage in debates about who has the best recipie: Amy Sedaris? Martha Stewart? Magnolia Bakery? I seriously wish that I could have your dedication.

But alas, I don't. And while I think ramen noodles are disgusting and wouldn't get caught eating macaroni & cheese that comes from a box, I'll admit that my spaghetti sauce is Newman's Own, my waffles are from Eggo and my cupcakes are made from a mix. But I do try to make them more interesting......

So here's the cupcakes I'll be bringing to a friends Cinco De Mayo party. A winning combo, but not for the kiddies since like any good Margarita, this one has alcohol.

Margarita Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) pkg instant vanilla pudding
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup margarita mix
1 tablespoon lime zest
1/4 cup tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec liqueur

Mix the magarita mix, tequila and triple sec. You may want to sample it, just to make sure everything tastes okay! ;-)

Using an electric mixer, blend together the cake mix, pudding , egg whites, oil, lime zest and the margarita mixture on low and then increase to medium for two minutes. The batter may be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the lined muffin pan. Fill cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the batter comes out clean in the center cupcake. Remove pan from the oven and cool on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely before frosting.

Drunken Icing
1 can white buttercream frosting
1 tablespoon tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec liqueur
2 tablespoons margarita mix
green food coloring (optional)
green decorating sugar (optional)

In a small bowl, handblend frosting ingredients until completely combined. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting and swirl with the back of a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. Sprinkle the edges with green decorating sugar. Enjoy!