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This Margarita Cake is flavored with lime and plenty of tequila for a moist and tender layer cake that is so full of margarita flavor! It is definitely a new favorite!
So are all pretty familiar with the fact that when you’re pregnant, you have to cut out certain foods and drinks, such as alcohol. Given that we tried so long to get pregnant before we got pregnant with the twins, it didn’t really bother me much. I totally expected to be able to go back to drinking caffeine and alcohol afterwards though and definitely didn’t take into account that with breastfeeding, you have to keep many of the same things out of your diet.
Of course it’s not as strict, so the occasional thing here and there isn’t going to hurt anything. One of the things I was most excited to taste again was a margarita. It seems like most people have some bad tequila experience that keeps them from loving tequila, but I have to say that it’s one of my favorites.
When I went to test and bake this cake, I was shocked to find that we didn’t have any tequila in the cabinet. I asked the hubs to run out for me and when he came back with the tequila, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. The first thing I did was open the bottle and just smell that delicious tequila smell. Is that weird? HA! What can I say? I’m a fan! Naturally I had to incorporate plenty of tequila flavor in with the lime flavor of this cake.
How to make this Margarita Cake
So to get started with this margarita cake, I used my Moist and Fluffy Vanilla Cake as the base. I have several vanilla cakes and cupcakes to choose from, but this cake is so buttery and tender, I thought it was perfect for this cake. It has a whopping one and half cups of butter in it, but it is so worth every bit! It’s produces and wonderfully moist and flavorful cake!
The butter is combined with some sugar and creamed until light and fluffy. It’s important to not gloss over this step, as the creaming adds air to the batter that helps give the cake some of it’s rise.
Next up are the egg whites and vanilla extract. The egg whites add structure to the cake and the vanilla adds some flavor to balance out the tequila and lime. The remainder of batter is made by alternating the addition of the dry ingredients with some milk and the lime juice and zest and tequila.
This margarita cake uses a full half cup of tequila to give it lots of flavor! There’s also a quarter cup of lime juice and some lime zest. I would say though that the tequila is the stronger flavor in the cake. Additional lime flavor comes from the frosting. You can certainly reduce the tequila a bit and add a little more milk, if you want to tone it down a bit. Totally up to you, but like I said – I’m a tequila fan!
Once the cake is baked and the frosting is made, it’s time to frost that lovely margarita cake and dig in! I wish it was possible to give you a taste through the screen because not only is the flavor on point, but the texture is so wonderfully soft and tender, it just melts right in your mouth. It’s a cake you’ll want to make over and over again, for sure!
Watch How To Make It
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Margarita Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hr 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, plus cooling time
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Margarita Cake is flavored with lime and plenty of tequila for a moist and tender cake that is so full of margarita flavor!
Ingredients
Tequila Lime Margarita Cake
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups (336g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 4 egg whites
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup tequila
- 2 tbsp lime zest
Lime Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups butter
- 1 1/2 cups shortening
- 12 cups (1380g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp finely grated lime zest
- 6 tbsp fresh lime juice
- Lime slices, for decor
- Sugar sprinkles, for decor
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed about 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg whites and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed, to make sure everything is combined.
5. Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
6. Add the milk and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
7. Add another third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
8. Add the lime juice, tequila and lime zest and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
9. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth.
10. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and spread evenly.
11. Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Don’t be alarmed if the tops are a little browned, that is normal.
10. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
11. To make the frosting, add the butter and shortening to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
12. Slowly add about half of the powdered sugar, mixing until well combined and smooth.
13. Add the lime zest and lime juice and mix until well combined and smooth.
14. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
15. Add additional lime juice, if needed, to thin out the frosting.
16. To put the cake together, trim the tops of the cakes so they are flat. The cake layers should be pretty flat, but if there’s a dome, trim it off.
17. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plater, then top it with about 1 cup of frosting and spread into an even layer.
18. Add the second layer of cake and another layer of frosting.
19. Top the cake with the remaining cake layer and frost the outside of the cake. I used my 9 inch offset spatula to create the lines on the side of the cake, but feel free to leave that off.
20. Finish off the cake with some swirls of the remaining frosting and lime slices. I also sprinkled some coarse sugar sprinkles around the top of the cake to mimic the look of salt, but that’s optional.
Notes
I store my cakes in a large cake carrier (the cupcake inserts are removable) at room temperature, but it can be refrigerated. The cake is best if eaten within roughly 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 1033
- Sugar: 113.6 g
- Sodium: 411.5 mg
- Fat: 52.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 138.8 g
- Protein: 5.7 g
- Cholesterol: 54.3 mg
Enjoy!
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What brand tequila would you recommend?
I don’t really remember which brand I used. Most likely Sauza. But you could really use your favorite.
How do I make the frosting without shortening?
Just replace it with an equal amount of (additional) butter.
Can this be made in a 13 by 9 inch cake? If so what temperature and how long?
That should be fine. I haven’t made it that size. You could bake it at 350 still or try 325. Sometimes 325 can give you a lighter texture in that size. I’m not really sure of the time. Maybe 25-30 minutes? Maybe a touch more?
Is there a nonalcohlic juice or drink that could be used in the place of tequila?
You could just use more milk.
Planning on making this soon- but as an aside I am loving the cakestand. I know this was from a few years ago but wondering if you remember where you go it? Thanks!
Thank you! I honestly don’t remember where I got it. I’m sorry. I hope you enjoy the cake though!
can you all butter or more butter in the frosting instead of shortening?
Yes, you can use all butter, instead of shortening.
Can I make this cake by using a white box mix and pistachio pudding to make it green and still use tequila & lime!
Seems like kind of an odd combination to me, but you could try it. I also don’t know much about adding tequila and lime to a cake mix.
I made this cake for a fundraiser and it was the number 1 cake everyone wanted!! I added a little more tequila and also I added tequila to the icing!!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Question about the ingredients for the frosting. Is it really 12 cups of powdered sugar? Also, can you make it only a 2 layer cake ?
Yes, but I use a good bit of buttercream because of how I frost my cakes. You can certainly reduce it if you plan on frosting it differently. And yes, a 2 layer cake should be fine.
Husband & I did not like this cake icing. It has 1 1/2 cups Shortening. Eating the icing, all I could taste was the shortening. Would be better with cream cheese like the other recipes we found after making this one. We throw out the cake…. sorry but it was like dipping your fork in the shortening container and eating it.
Wow, this recipe was amazing. My nephew turned 21 and loves lemon/lime desserts so this was the perfectone to make. He said best one ever!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!