If you’ve checked out my About Me page at all then you know the Gin and Tonic is my absolute favorite cocktail! I’ve been so excited to share these Gin and Tonic cupcakes with you all! If you love lime, you’ll love these cupcakes!! They’re perfectly tangy and boozy. These cupcakes are packed with lime juice, lime zest, tonic water, and of course, lots of gin.
What makes these Gin and Tonic Cupcakes so incredible?
Gin: The best part! The gin in these cupcakes is very subtle, but really ties the frosting together. I love using Rainier Gin but it’s only available in the PNW area. Any gin such as Bombay or Aviation gin will work. Just make sure you like the flavor because you’ll be soaking the cupcakes in it and using it in the frosting!
Lime: An absolutely essential element in a gin and tonic. This recipe uses both lime zest and lime juice for a nice tangy punch. Oh, and have you seen how beautiful the lime zest looks in the frosting??? Stunning.
Tonic water: Tonic water adds a little bit of extra sweetness to the cupcakes to compliment the sourness of the limes. Tonic water also acts as a leavening agent due to all the carbonation. This combined with the eggs give these cupcakes a nice rise! Make sure to only fill the cupcake liners about 2/3rds of the way otherwise these will overflow!
Sour cream: I have made hundreds of cupcakes throughout my time as a baker and I can confidently tell you sour cream is the key to getting a super fluffy, moist cupcake! I use sour cream in every single cake recipe besides chocolate. You can read more about my chocolate cupcake method in these Irish Coffee Cupcakes!
How do I make them?
- Mix all the dry ingredients together. This is essential so that you don’t get random chunks of baking powder or salt in your cupcakes.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beating together the butter and sugar helps create a fluffy, airy cupcake.
- Add in your eggs. Adding eggs to your creamed butter and sugar mixture helps emulsify your ingredients into a smooth, cohesive batter.
- Add sour cream and dry ingredients.
- Add all liquids.
- Mix it all together and bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes. Easy!
Tips for success
Bring all your ingredients to room temperature: This is essential in cupcake making!! Bringing all your ingredients to room temperature will ensure that all your ingredients distribute evenly so you don’t wind up with weird egg or butter chunks.
Preheat your oven for at least 20 minutes before you’re going to bake the cupcakes. Putting the cupcakes in the oven before it is properly heated can result in your cupcakes baking unevenly and getting crispy on the outside but raw in the middle. Using the proper temperature also allows your cupcakes to get the perfect rise every time.
FAQs
How can I tell when my cupcakes are done?
You can test your cupcakes two ways. First, you can test them by poking a toothpick down the center. Your toothpick should come out clean or with a couple crumbs. If there is batter on your toothpick, place the cupcakes back in the oven for 2 minutes at a time until the toothpick comes out clean.
Second, you can gently press your finger on the top of the cupcake. If it springs back, the cupcake is ready. If your finger leaves a dent then the cupcakes need another couple minutes. This is my favorite method!
How can I make them extra boozy?
These cupcakes call for gin in the batter, frosting, AND drizzled over the cupcakes. I usually use ¼ tsp of gin to pour over top, but you can increase this to ½ tsp to make some extra boozy cupcakes! I wouldn’t recommend going much higher than that though because the alcohol will overpower all the other flavors if you use too much.
How do I know if my frosting is the right consistency?
Your frosting should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon or spatula upside down. If you tilt your spatula and the frosting starts sliding off then you likely need more powdered sugar. Or, it could be that your butter was too soft. If your frosting can’t easily spread across a plate or your bowl using a spatula then your buttercream is probably too thick. Trying to put this frosting on a cupcake is either going to not fit through the piping bag or tear the cupcake if you try to spread it with a knife or spatula.
How to tell if your butter is the right temperature
You should be able to press down on your butter and leave a dent with minimal effort. If you have to press down pretty hard then your butter is not soft enough. If your butter looks melted or really greasy then it’s too soft.
Make ahead/store
You can make the actual cake up to two days in advance. Just make sure you wrap them tightly. You can also make the frosting ahead of time and leave it at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge covered for up to 1 week. When the cupcakes are fully frosted, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 4-5 days.
More recipes you’ll love
The Most Irresistible Spiced Rum Cupcakes
Gin and Tonic Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 215 g Cake flour 2 cups minus 2 Tbs
- 2 Tbs Lime zest About 2 large limes
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 200 g Granulated sugar 1 cup
- 113 g Unsalted butter, softened 1 stick
- 2 Whole eggs Room temp
- 120 g Sour cream (room temp) 1/2 cup
- 59 g Gin + extra for soaking the cupcakes 1/4 cup
- 59 g Tonic water 1/4 cup
- 2 Tbs Lime juice About 2 large limes
For the frosting
- 340 g Powdered sugar 2 ¾ cup
- 150 g Unsalted butter, softened 1 stick + 2.5 Tbs
- 2 TBS + 1 teaspoon Gin
- 1 Tbs Lime Juice About 1/2 large lime
- 1 Tbs Lime zest About 1/2 large lime
Instructions
Gin and Tonic cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two cupcake pans with 15 cupcake liners total.
- In a large bowl (not your mixing bowl) add the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, lime zest, and salt. Mix until combined then set aside.
- In your mixing bowl, add your softened butter and granulated sugar. Beat on a medium speed for about 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs to the mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for another 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the edges of the bowl, then add your sour cream. Mix on a low speed until sour cream is thoroughly incorporated.
- Add dry ingredient mixture to the mixing bowl. Use a spatula to gently fold in some of the dry mixture so that it doesn't fly out of the bowl when you turn on the mixer. Mix on low speed until just barely combined. Do not overmix!!
- With the mixer running on a low speed, slowly pour in gin, tonic water, and lime juice into the bowl. Mix until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3rds of the way full. This is usually about 3 Tablespoons of batter.
- Bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes or until you can lightly touch the center and it springs back at you. Or, bake until a toothpick comes out clean when you poke the center of your cupcake. Mine usually take exactly 17 minutes, but everyone’s oven is different.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely.
- Use a fork to poke some holes about 4 times in each cupcake. Next, pour ¼ teaspoon of gin on top of each cupcake. For an extra boozy cupcake, increase this to ½ teaspoon. Any more than that could overpower the other flavors in the cupcake so beware of that before adding too much.
For the Frosting
- Beat 150g of softened butter in a large bowl with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer for about 5 minutes until the butter is very pale and fluffy.
- Add your powdered sugar, lime zest, lime juice, and gin and mix until the frosting starts to come together.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for another 3-5 minutes until all the powdered sugar has mixed in and the frosting is airy and soft. If your buttercream is too thick and hard to spread, try adding water or milk ½ tablespoon at a time. (Do not add more lime juice otherwise the frosting will become too tart.) If your buttercream is too runny, try adding more powdered sugar 1 Tbs at a time until you get your desired consistency. The frosting should be able to hold its shape without falling off a spatula, but not so thick that you can’t spread it.
