Let’s face it, I love alcoholic cakes now. After my first Bundt, the Cosmo Cake, I kept getting ideas for cocktails in cake form. This margarita cake is delicious with its lime and orange packed punch. Brushing the cake with tequila was a bold move but I have to say, a bite of this cake tastes like a sip of a margarita, which is exactly what I was going for. 

This recipe serves 8-10 people

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Bake Time: 50 Minutes

Total Time: 2 Hours 

Ingredients:

  For the Cake:

1 ½ Cups (3 Sticks, 24 Tbs or 339g) Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature

2 Cups (415g) Granulated Sugar

4 Large Room Temperature Eggs (220g)

1 Tbs (11g) Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp (2g) Orange Zest

1 Tbs (4g) Lime Zest

3 Cups (375g) Cake Flour

2 Tsp (9g) Baking Powder

¾ Tsp (2g) Baking Soda

1 ½ Tsp (4g) Salt

1 Cup (8oz, 235g or 240mL) Room Temperature Buttermilk (or the same amount of regular milk with 1 Tbs or 14.5g Lemon Juice)

½ Cup (120mL or 118g) Tequila

2 Tbs (29g) Water

2 Tbs (25g) Granulated Sugar

  For the Glaze:

3 Cups (390g) Confectioner’s Sugar

4 Tbs (56g) Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

3 Tbs (13g) Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

1 Tsp (2g) Orange Zest

1 Tsp (2g) Lime Zest

¼ Tsp (1g) Salt

Lime Zest and Flaky Sea Salt to Garnish. 

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F (175 C) and liberally grease a 12 cup Bundt cake pan with cooking spray (spray works best with this cake, and if you’re using a pan with a more intricate design, make sure you liberally grease all the corners and creases. 

2.     In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. 

3.     In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. 

4.     Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next one, then add the vanilla, lime and orange zest. 

5.     With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Do it in about 3 parts. Stop mixing once the last bit of flour is barely absorbed, and finish mixing with a silicone spatula, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly mixed. 

6.     Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then tap the pan on your counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched, or a cake tester comes out clean when inserted all the way into the center of the cake. 

7.     Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. 

8.     Combine the 2 Tbs water and sugar in a bowl and microwave for 45 second to a minute, until the sugar is completely dissolved, then combine it with the tequila. Brush this mixture all over the warm cake, using the full amount. The cake will absorb it all, and this needs to be done while the cake is still warm. 

9.     For the glaze, combine the confectioner’s sugar, orange juice, lime juice, lime zest, orange zest and salt in a bowl with a whisk until thick and nicely combined. If the glaze seems too thick, add 1 tbs more cream, or if it’s too thin, add more sugar by the tablespoon. Once the cake is completely cooled, pour the glaze all over the cake, then top with lime zest.  

-Store at room temperature tightly wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months, just make sure its tightly wrapped in plastic and then put in an airtight container.