Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons each grated lime zest (from 4 limes) and juice, plus more zest, for sprinkling
1 cup buttermilk
Tequila Lime Curd
Cream Cheese Frosting for Margarita Cupcakes
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and coarse salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; beat in zest. Combine buttermilk and remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk mixture, and beating until just combined after each. Pour 1/4 cup batter into each tin, firmly tapping pans to level batter.
Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cupcakes spring back to the touch and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely.
Fill a small piping bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #4) with lime curd. Insert tip into center of each cupcake and pipe until cupcake begins to mound on top. Dollop each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons cream cheese frosting, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt and lime zest.
