Grand Gold Cupcakes

• The Cupcake
• 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter (12 Tblsp)
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 3 teaspoons finely grated Orange Peel
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 1/4 cups self-rising Flour, divided
• 1/4 cup Buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons Gold Tequila
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
• Lime Zest Icing
• 3/4 cup powdered Sugar
• 1 package Cream Cheese (8 oz)
• 1 tablespoon fresh Lime Juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated Lime Peel
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup Whipping Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Insert paper liners in 12 muffin cups.
3. In large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 3 teaspoons orange zest until blended, then beat until fluffy and pale yellow.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each.
5. Beat in half of the flour.
6. Beat in half of the flour, then add buttermilk, tequila and Grand Marnier. I was out of Grand Marnier, so I substituted 1 Tbsp of whiskey and 1 Tbsp of Vanilla. Worked great! Beat to blend. Then beat in remaining flour.
7. Divide batter equally among the 12 muffin cups and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool while preparing the Lime Zest Icing.
8. In food processor, blend sugar, cream cheese, lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla; then pulse. Blend in enough shipping cream to form thick but spreadable icing.
9. Ice cupcakes and garnish with orange zest, lime zest, and/or turbinado sugar.

cupcake, butter, powdered sugar, eggs, flour, buttermilk, gold tequila, grand marnier, icing, powdered sugar, cream cheese, lime juice, vanilla, whipping cream

Taken from food52.com/recipes/4526-grand-gold-cupcakes (may not work)