I love a fun cupcake recipe for any holiday, and these piñata cupcakes are so fun for Cinco de Mayo! I fill fresh lime cupcakes with an exciting sprinkle surprise, then top them with zingy lime buttercream frosting for a treat that’s as fun as it is flavorful. My kids were absolutely amazed by these cupcakes, and my husband thought they were super cool and unique, too. I think they’ll be a hit with the whole family!
Lime-flavored Piñata Cupcakes
I’ve made my fair share of filled cupcakes, but these Cinco de Mayo cupcakes are my new favorite. Instead of loading them up with jam or cream, I added colorful and crunchy sprinkles that pop out like a piñata filled with candy!
Loaded with fresh lime juice and zest, plus some moist and tangy sour cream, these piñata cupcakes are a fun twist on my favorite lemon cupcakes. I colored them green just for fun, and they looked so cute with the festive sprinkles on top. These would be great for a birthday party, too!
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Color Them Naturally
I used Chefmaster neon brite green gel food coloring to get that vivid lime color. Water-based food coloring will also work, but you’ll need to mix the green with a little yellow to get the right color. You can, of course, omit the food coloring altogether if you’re not a fan.
For an all-natural option, try mixing some matcha green tea powder into the cupcake batter. 1-2 tablespoons should be sufficient — check out my matcha cupcakes recipe for more info. Just keep in mind that the cupcakes will have more of an earthy green hue. The matcha will also add a subtle green tea flavor, but I think it tastes delish with lime.
Cinco de Mayo Piñata Cupcakes
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Cupcake Tin
- Stand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup lime juice
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lime zest (from 1 lime)
- Green food coloring optional
For the Filling & Decorating:
- Wilton Cactus Party sprinkle blend
- Lime buttercream recipe (click for recipe)
- Llama or cactus-shaped sugar candies optional
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.2½ cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together for 1 minute on medium speed. Add in the milk, lime juice, and sour cream and mix until combined. Add in the eggs and lime zest and mix until combined.1 cup unsalted butter, 1⅓ cups granulated sugar, ⅓ cup milk, ½ cup lime juice, ½ cup sour cream, 4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons lime zest
- Fold in the flour mixture until the flour has been incorporated. Do not overmix. Add in the green food coloring. Green food coloring will lose a little bit of its coloring as it bakes so, once you have achieved the color you like, add in just a smidge more to make up for the color baking out.Green food coloring
- Fill your cupcake molds ¾ full and bake for 14-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, let cool on a cooling rack until they reach room temperature.
For the Filling & Decorating
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, using the wide end of a piping tip, remove some cupcake by pressing it at least halfway into the cupcake. Save the removed cupcake piece and set aside in a small bowl. You can use a toothpick to make it easier to remove the cupcake from the piping tip.
- Fill each cupcake with about ½-1 teaspoon of sprinkles. Place the removed cupcake piece back into each hole on top of the sprinkles and press down to make them flush with the rest of the cupcake. It is ok if it does not look pretty, it will get covered up.Wilton Cactus Party sprinkle blend
- Pipe lime buttercream on top of each cupcake. Top with more sprinkles or llama or cactus sugar candy.Lime buttercream recipe, Llama or cactus-shaped sugar candies
Notes
- After the flour is added to the wet mixture, do not mix too much if you plan to add food coloring since once it is added you will be mixing quite a bit more to incorporate the color and you do not want to overmix the batter.
- When you are baking these cupcakes, do not check them until they have been baking for at least 10 minutes as the oven temperature fluctuation could cause them to fall. When you do check them, if they are not finished baking, be sure to slowly and gently close the oven door to prevent them from falling.
Decorating Ideas
Decorated with llama and cactus sprinkles and candy, these piñata cupcakes are great to enjoy for Cinco de Mayo. But they are easy to adapt to suit any holiday. Use orange and black candies for Halloween or heart candies and sprinkles for Valentine’s Day! Rainbow sprinkles for a birthday party would be so fun!
How to Make Piñata Cupcakes for Cinco de Mayo Step-by-Step
Whisk the Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F, line a 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners, and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2½ cups of cake flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Set aside for now.
Mix the Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 1 cup of room-temperature unsalted butter and 1⅓ cups of granulated sugar together for 1 minute on medium speed. Add in ⅓ cup of milk, ½ cup of lime juice, and ½ cup of room-temperature sour cream and mix until combined. Add in 4 large room-temperature eggs and 2 teaspoons of lime zest and mix until combined.
Combine and Color the Batter: Fold in the flour mixture until the flour has been incorporated. Do not overmix, as this could turn the cupcakes gummy. Add in a few drops of green food coloring, if desired. Green food coloring will lose a little bit of its coloring as it bakes so, once you have achieved the color you like, add in just a smidge more to make up for the color baking out.
Bake the Cupcakes: Fill each well of the cupcake tin ¾ full and bake for 14-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. If you overfill the cupcake molds, they will overflow, and the tops may burn. Once baked, let the cupcakes cool on a cooling rack until they reach room temperature.
Core and Fill the Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are cooled, using the wide end of a piping tip, remove some cupcake by pressing it at least halfway into the cupcake. Save the removed cupcake piece and set it aside in a small bowl. I like to use a toothpick to make it easier to remove the cupcake piece from the piping tip. Fill each cupcake with about ½-1 teaspoon of Wilton Cactus party sprinkles. Place the removed cupcake piece back into each hole on top of the sprinkles and press down to make them flush with the rest of the cupcake. It is ok if it does not look pretty; it will get covered up.
Frost the Cupcakes: Pipe lime buttercream (or the frosting of your choice — I have been known to use store-bought!) on top of each cupcake. Top with more sprinkles or llama or cactus-shaped sugar candies.
How to Store
Store leftover lime piñata cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If freezing, I recommend leaving off the decorative sprinkles until you’re ready to serve the cupcakes. Let the frozen cupcakes thaw at room temperature for a few hours before decorating and serving.
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