Description
These Strawberry Mango Cupcakes combine vibrant fruity flavors with a moist, tender crumb for a delightful treat. Featuring alternating layers of strawberry and mango batter, topped with luscious American or Swiss Meringue Buttercream tinted and flavored accordingly, these cupcakes are finished with a sugar-rim mimicking a margarita glass, and garnished with fresh lime wedges and strawberry halves for a festive and refreshing dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes:
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups caster sugar (extra fine granulated sugar)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups full cream milk (whole milk)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pink and red food gel (for strawberry flavor)
- 1 tsp strawberry flavoring
- Yellow food gel (for mango flavor)
- 1 tsp mango flavoring
Frosting:
- 1 batch American or Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Pink and red food gels for strawberry frosting
- Yellow food gel for mango frosting
- Strawberry flavoring for strawberry frosting
- Mango flavoring for mango frosting
Decorations:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 10 limes, cut into 40 wedges
- 10 strawberries, halved
Instructions
- Prep and Bake: Preheat your oven to 275°F (140°C) for fan-forced ovens or 320°F (160°C) for conventional ovens. Line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners to prepare for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Add the softened unsalted butter and mix until the mixture becomes crumbly in texture, ensuring the butter is evenly distributed.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, full cream milk, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla extract until fully blended and smooth.
- Combine and Divide Batter: Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Then, divide the batter evenly into two separate bowls.
- Color and Flavor Batter: To one portion of batter, add pink and red food gels along with strawberry flavoring, mixing to create a vibrant strawberry batter. To the other portion, add yellow food gel and mango flavoring, mixing to form the mango batter.
- Fill Liners: Using a piping bag or spoon, alternate layers of strawberry and mango batter into each cupcake liner, creating a marbled effect in the cupcakes.
- Bake: Place the cupcake tins in the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Once done, remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: Prepare a batch of American or Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. Divide the frosting into two portions; tint one with pink and red food gels and add strawberry flavoring, and tint the other with yellow food gel and add mango flavoring.
- Sugar Rim: Dip the cooled cupcakes’ rims lightly in water and roll them in granulated sugar, creating a sparkling, margarita glass-like effect around the edges.
- Pipe Frosting: Using piping bags fitted with the desired tips, pipe alternating swirls of the strawberry and mango flavored buttercream atop each cupcake for a colorful presentation.
- Decorate: Garnish each cupcake with a fresh lime wedge and a strawberry half, completing the festive look and adding fresh flavor accents.
Notes
- You can use either American or Swiss Meringue Buttercream based on your preference; Swiss Meringue tends to be lighter and silkier.
- Ensure the cupcakes are completely cooled before applying the frosting and sugar rim to prevent melting.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning the batter or frosting.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute butter and milk with plant-based alternatives and yogurt with a vegan sour cream.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, a plastic sandwich bag with a corner snipped off works well for layering batter and frosting.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
