Margarita Cake

Never look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially if said horse is one's sweet baby girl, who has happily existed sans dents for 11 months and manages her food just fine, thanks. Not a day after my last post, a sharp little toof poked through with little distress on Stella's part. A day later, another one! Wow, this teething thing is cake, y'all.

Yeah, except tooth number three began its emergence last night and that thing must have been a real bitch because Stella was hysterical and impossible to soothe, flailing and ramming her head into things (mostly me) as if to say "why won't these idiots help me?!?!". I respect a mother's choice to exhaust all natural and homeopathic options before moving on to Tylenol, but seeing as how my first offering of a nice cold teething ring was pitched across the room in a fit of tiny rage, I said eff all that and gave my poor baby the hard stuff. She thanked me by sleeping in 3 hour intervals until 7:30 this morning, then spent the day tearing at my face and hair and screaming. God, beer me strength.

As I am still refraining from adult beverages thanks to Princess Charming up there, I take my booze in the form of delicious cake these days. I actually made this margarita cake for a friend's birthday over a week ago and it was snarfed in roughly 48 hours. Mostly by me. The original recipe called for a white cake mix, and if that is more your speed, by all means eliminate the dry ingredients and the shortening, and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil. You probably won't taste a difference but I'm crazy and had to do it from scratch. Also, feel free to be as liberal or stingy as you'd like with the tequila. The original recipe didn't call for it at all, but where's the fun in that?

Margarita Cake

adapted from Wilton

for the cake:

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 can (10 oz.) frozen margarita mix

3 egg whites, lightly beaten

3 tbsp lime zest 

1/4 cup tequila (optional and adjustable to your taste)

for the glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

lime juice and tequila, as desired

1 tbsp lime zest

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in shortening until fine crumbs are formed (I used a food processor for this step and then transferred to a large bowl). Add remaining cake ingredients and beat at low speed until moistened. Beat at medium speed for two minutes and pour into prepared pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, remove, and cool completely on a rack. 

For the glaze, place confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and thin with whatever ratio of lime juice and tequila you prefer. I used a couple tablespoons of each. Stir in lime zest and drizzle over cooled cake.