Fiesta

Citrus Margarita Cake ft. Pomegranate Frosting + Confetti Sprinkles

If you're still craving more / recovering from Cinco de Mayo, feel free to prolong the celebration / hangover with another slightly-tequila-infused creation, this time with a sweet citrus cake and a tart pomegranate frosting (one of my favorites to date).

When you take a swing at this festive cake (fork, baseball ball, or other weapon of choice), inside you'll find - what else? confetti! confetti sprinkles, thanks to Amanda's recipe from i am baker. After baking the cake, split it into two equal halves, fill the middle with frosting and a healthy dose of sprinkles, put the top layer back on, and crumb coat the entire thing before using Wilton tip #46/47 for the crepe paper exterior.

Piñatas have become synonymous with Cinco de Mayo and other celebrations, leading to so many more products than just the paper-mache'd treasure chests themselves - cookies, costumes (wear at your own risk), and - just because this is the world we live in - video games.

citrus margarita cake
1 box lemon cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. tequila
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease pans with butter or a non-stick spray like PAM. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to combine cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, tequila, and orange juice, on a low speed for 1 minute and a high speed for 1 minute. Pour batter into pans until each is 2/3 of the way full. Bake according to the times on the back of the mix box, depending on the types of pans you are using.

pomegranate frosting
1/2 c. vegetable shortening or butter
4 c. confectioners sugar
1 tbsp. tequila
3-4 tbsp. pomegranate juice
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Beat shortening, tequila, and pomegranate juice in large mixing bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar into bowl one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition until frosting has thickened. Add water by the tablespoon if frosting is too thick.

confetti sprinkles
1 c. confectioners sugar
1-2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. corn syrup
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Mix sugar, milk and corn syrup in small bowl until thick syrup/icing forms. Spoon icing into a rolled parchment bag with a small decorating tip or into a plastic bag with the corner slightly snipped. Pipe out dots, zig zags, and other shapes onto a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Let sprinkles dry for 24 hours, carefully remove with a thin spatula, and fill in between cake layers.