If there is anything that screams summer, it’s a nice cold margarita rimmed with salt and sipped in the sun. This Margarita Cake is the baked dessert equivalent of its namesake drink. Two moist, fluffy sponges are brushed with tequila and layered with a lightly salted lime and tequila Swiss Meringue buttercream that is so silky and light that it’s actually quite refreshing. It’s the perfect dessert for any summer gathering and is sure to get people talking.
The first time I made a Margarita Cake (or Margarita Cupcakes, I should say), I brought them to my friend Kathleen‘s bachelorette party. And let me tell you, when the recipe called for tequila, I pretty much said, “That’s not enough,” and doubled it. The cakes were bursting with lime flavor, probably over-tequila’d (there is no such thing, especially not when you’re at a bachelorette party!), and fully memorable. This recipe isn’t the same, but it’s definitely inspired by those cupcakes.
This cake is essentially those Margarita Cupcakes all grown up. The tequila has been tamed down a bit so that the lime is actually at the forefront (you can add more if you’d like, depending on where I bring it I usually adjust the amount of booze in my makes for those who will be eating it), the frosting has been leveled up to a more mature version, and the cupcakes have been turned into a full fledged cake that looks sort of classy once put together.
The cakes here are much more moist thanks to the addition of Greek yogurt and the buttercream is far less sweet. The thing with American Buttercream is that it can often be cloyingly sweet. As you add wet ingredients to flavor it, you end up using more powdered sugar to thicken it back up and get the consistency you’re looking for which ultimately results in a cake that is so sweet you might not be able to finish a slice. Have you ever just scraped the frosting off of your cake because it’s far too sweet and there is way too much of it? That’s usually what I do with American Buttercream.
This Lime & Tequila Swiss Meringue Buttercream though is a different story. It’s so light that it just sort of melts in your mouth, and it’s not overly sweet at all. You can eat it on it’s own without being forced to shake your head and do that small cringe caused by too much sugar (it’s a thing, I promise).
The Swiss Meringue buttercream may sound intimidating, but it’s actually quite easy and foolproof. Just make sure that you whisk over the water until the sugar has completely dissolved into the water. You can easily check this by rubbing the mixture between your fingers–if it’s smooth, you’re good to start using the mixer, if not, keep whisking and check again. You don’t want a grainy icing! But once that’s all set, whisk up the meringue until you have stiff peaks. Once you’ve reached that point, add the butter in a small bit at a time and you really can’t go wrong with it. Even when it seems everything is falling apart, keep mixing, keep adding the butter, and it will all come together in the end.
I like to add an extra bit of salt to my buttercream, but I also like to sprinkle a little bit of salt on top to really give the idea of that salted rim margarita. And if you don’t want or can’t have the booze, just eliminate the tequila and you’ll still have yourself a pretty knockout lime cake!
| Cook Time | 20-25 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs large, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-2 1/2 Tbsp lime zest about 4 limes
- 2 Tbsp lime juice about 1 lime
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2-4 Tbsp tequila
- 3 egg whites from large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lime zest only
- 2 Tbsp lime juice about 3 limes
- 1 Tbsp tequila
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened and cut into cubes
Ingredients
Lime Cake
Lime & Tequila Swiss Meringue Buttercream
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- Place a rack at the center of the oven and preheat to °F. Grease and line two 8" cake tins and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the all self-rising flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes on medium high). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and reduce the speed to low. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until fully combined. Add in the vanilla extract, lime zest, and lime juice. Mix until combined. Don't worry if it looks curdled at this point, it will come together by the end.
- Take the bowl off the stand mixer or set down the electric mixer. Sift 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour in scraping around the outside and then pulling through the center until just mixed in. Fold in 1/2 cup of the Greek yogurt until just combined. Fold in the second 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the other 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt, and then finally the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients mixing until just combined after each addition.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared cake tins and bake 20-25 minutes until the tops spring back to the touch or a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out of the pan and brush with the tequila. Allow to cool completely before assembling.
- Pour about 2 cups of water into a large pot and allow it to come to a simmer. Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Turn down the heat on the stove and place the bowl onto the pot of water. Using a wire whisk, whisk constantly until the sugar is fully dissolved. You can easily check to see if it's ready by rubbing some of the mixture between your fingers--if it's grainy, keep mixing--until it feels smooth or until a candy thermometer inserted into the bowl reads 160°F. Immediately transfer the bowl to the stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk on high until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch and stiff peaks form (about 10 minutes).
- Once the meringue holds stiff peaks, add in the lime zest, lime juice, and tequila and keep mixing on high. Switch to the paddle attachment and lower the speed of the mixer. Add the softened butter one cube at a time, mixing until fully combined between each addition. If it looks too soft or like it might curdle, don't worry. Just keep adding the butter and mixing until it is fully incorporated, it will come together on it's own to form a smooth buttercream. Once it comes together, if it sill looks a bit too soft, just pop it into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
- Place one layer of cake on a cardboard cake round or a serving plate. Scoop out about 1 cup of frosting and spread evenly over the top allowing it to go over the edges a little bit. Top with the second cake and repeat. Using a spatula or an offset spatula if you have one, spread the overhanging frosting along side the sides of the cake. Continue to add buttercream and decorate as desired. Sprinkle the top of the cake with a pinch of coarse salt and/or with some lime zest.