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Tequila Lime Cake with Tequila Lime Buttercream,
Plus Extra Tequila for Good Measure

When you can’t hug your friends because of #socialdistancing, you do the next best thing — bring them boozy cake balls to celebrate a special occasion.

With Cinco de Mayo just behind us, I had margaritas on the brain. (Or maybe I always have margaritas on the brain. No judgment, right?)

To put my limes to good use, I decided on a margarita-inspired dessert to celebrate Mother’s Day and a good friend’s birthday at the same event.

I planned on using a white cake mix as my base, but I didn’t have one in the cabinet. I did, however, have some cake flour. Turns out, making the tequila-lime cake from scratch yielded an unbelievably light, fluffy chiffon cake that was honestly good enough to be eaten on its own.

But you know me. I’m always just a little bit extra. And that’s why you love me.

So I added boozy tequila-lime buttercream plus a little more booze for good measure to transform a delicious boozy into boozier margarita cake balls. The white chocolate coating is the perfect complement.

The result is a light, key lime-flavored tangy-sweet dessert with enough tequila to deepen the flavor. Perfect summer dessert. Perfect girl’s night contribution. Perfect make-anytime-you’re-going-anywhere dessert.

These are seriously addictive, friends. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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What You’ll Need:

• 13 x 9 glass or metal baking pan (I always bake in Pyrex because I can store the end product in the same container with the lid)
• Hand mixer or stand mixer (KitchenAid is my go-to for both!)
• Zester or box grater
• Citrus squeezer (if you’re using fresh limes, and the flavor is so much better if you do!)
• If you want to tint your cake lime green, add a few drops of food coloring. I used Americolor Soft Gel Paste Food Coloring in Electric Lime from this kit.
• Lime green sugar sprinkles for garnish
• Cake pop sticks optional. I was out of my cake pop sticks, but putting them on a stick makes them easier to dip in chocolate and serve.
• White chocolate melting wafers or candy melts (use candy melts if you want to coat them in green)

Print

Boozy Margarita Cake Balls

Tequila Lime Infused Dessert

Course Dessert

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Tequila-Lime Chiffon Cake

• 1.5 cups cake flour (can substitute all-purpose flour)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cups unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup tequila (silver tequila preferred)
• 1 Tbsp triple sec
• 1 Tbsp lime zest (substitute lemon zest if desired)

Tequila-Lime Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 Tbsp tequila
• 1 Tbsp triple sec

Extras

• 1 Tbsp tequila
• 1/2 Tbsp triple sec
• 2-3 drops gel food color (electric lime)
• 12 ounces white chocolate melting wafers, candy melts, or white chocolate chips (Ghiradelli brand wafers melt the best and taste the best!)
• Lime green sugar sprinkles

Instructions

Tequila-Lime Chiffon Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs.

3. In a separate bowl, sift or stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add about 1/3 of dry ingredients mixture to butter-sugar-egg mixture and mix on Low speed.

   

5. Add milk and continue to blend.

6. Add another third of dry ingredients and continue to blend.

7. Add tequila, lime, and triple sec and continue to blend.

8. Add final third of dry ingredients and continue to blend.

9. Fold in lime zest and drop of food coloring and mix to combine.

   

10. Pour into 13 x 9 pan lined with parchment paper.

    

11. Bake for 25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cake may have small bubbles on surface.

    

12. Let cool completely before integrating into frosting.

Tequila-Lime Buttercream Frosting

1. In large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter and powdered sugar with hand mixer.

2. Add lime juice, tequila, and triple sec and continue to blend. Frosting consistency will be thinner than usual buttercream.

Assembling the Cake Balls

1. Crumble cooled cake into the frosting and continue to mix.

   

2. Add bonus 1 Tbsp of tequila and 1/2 Tbsp triple sec and blend to integrate.

3. Batter will be very sticky. Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour.

4. After chilling, roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper, or in to mini muffin tin.

   

5. Chill cake balls 20-30 minutes in refrigerator.

6. Melt white chocolate according to package directions. If using white chocolate chips instead of melting wafers, add 1 tsp coconut oil to prevent it from seizing.

7. Dip cake ball in melted white chocolate and decorate with sprinkles. Transfer to parchment paper to allow coating to harden.

8. Place in individual mini muffin paper cups and store in refrigerator until ready to eat. Enjoy!

If you don’t have an occasion to make these for, pro tip: Invent one. They’re worth it. Pin this recipe for later so you can make it again!

What’s your favorite cocktail? Would you try a dessert version of it? Tell me in the comments below or connect on social media!

Keep following on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more (probably boozy) recipes that I’m whipping up during #quarantine.