Quinceaneras are for Divas: Diva Tequila Cupcakes

We’re expecting the gentlemen from Del Bravo for a visit on Monday so I’m doing a little preparation in the kitchen today.

Whenever we’re contacted by brand owners who will be coming through San Antonio, we like to invite them to the Tequila Aficionado Headquarters for drinks and a chat. We like to film a great deal of the chatting part which you’ll soon see in several articles coming up from Mike Morales. Since I love to pair and prepare foods with tequilas and mezcals, I usually make a little something so we don’t send our guests off into the night hungry. I’m particularly excited about meeting the gentlemen from Del Bravo Tequila, the makers of Penasco and Diva Tequilas.

I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of infused tequilas for the sole reason that nine times out of ten, they are overdone, poorly done, or are just a company’s way of putting sub-par products on a shelf to sell to those women who still think tequila is for shooting. (Yes, I’ve become a bit of a tequila snob.) Diva Tequila is one of the very few infusions to pass the sip test here at Tequila Aficionado.

My first reaction upon seeing Diva’s presentation was a very girly “Ooh, what a pretty bottle!”

Let’s face it, the tall, faceted bottle topped with the brilliant-cut diamond style stopper is just plain gorgeous.

The question that followed was a practical one “But how’s the juice?”

Truth be told, I was afraid of being disappointed yet again with the promise of a pretty bottle with no substance to back it up. So I gave Diva a day and tried the Penasco blanco instead. After enjoying Penasco, I was prepared to give the Diva my undivided attention the next evening.

I wasn’t disappointed.

Instead of the usual overdone, sugary sweet concoctions marketed to the female drinker, I found the same crisp, clear blanco that Penasco delivered only this time it had a delightful twist of pink grapefruit. Not too tart, not too sweet, and still a wonderful sipper! (Like Goldilocks only with tequila instead of porridge!)
The Del Bravo folks know what they’re doing. From the Diva Tequila bottle design (which would look lovely placed in a box of long-stemmed roses for Valentine’s Day *hint*) to the juice inside, they’ve done this right.

After a few sips, I knew I had to take this lovely lady into the Tequila Aficionado Test Kitchen. I could see pairing her with brunch items, desserts, salads and so much more. Yes, this is the guest you must invite to your girls’ night in or ladies’ brunch.

My first project was to tweak a Strawberry Margarita Cupcake recipe I’d found on Pinterest. It was a hit!

Here’s the original recipe:

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

1 box dry white cake mix
2 .30 oz dry sugar free strawberry jello mix
¾ cup bottled strawberry margarita mix
⅓ cup vegetable oil
½ cup tequila
3 eggs

[Tweet “Diva Margarita Cupcakes from the Tequila Aficionado Test Kitchen by @lisapietsch”]

Here’s my version:

Diva Margarita Cupcakes

1 box Pillsbury Sugar Free Yellow cake mix
2 .30 oz dry sugar free orango jello mix
¾ cup JLP (Ready to Drink) Golden Lime Margarita
⅓ cup coconut oil
½ cup Diva Tequila
3 eggs

I prefer to cook sugar free since I have sugar issues and, nobody trusts a cook who doesn’t eat her own creations!

The orange jello was the perfect complement to the pink grapefruit in Diva.

The JLP Golden Lime Margarita was a no-brainer. I absolutely love these margaritas and knew it would be excellent in this citrus dream.

[Tweet “JLP Golden Lime Margarita – Ready to drink and great for cooking & marinades too!”]

I thought coconut oil might give the cupcakes just a pinch of tropical flavor to set off all the citrus and I was right.

This recipe yielded 18 cupcakes.

When it came time to top off little darlings, I wished I had created tiny white chocolate crowns. As it turns out, they didn’t need anything so glamorous as all that. Instead of the Tequila Cream Cheese Frosting, I used the Pillsbury Sugar Free frosting and added a tablespoon of Diva. It worked out great! Then I topped each cupcake with a single chocolate pearl.

We enjoyed them for a very long time!

Tequila Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
2½ cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp Tequila
1 tbsp lime juice
zest from 1 lime
optional-white sparkling sugar

Of course, if you don’t feel like going through the hassle of baking, Diva Tequila pairs just as well with dark chocolate covered strawberries!

No matter how you enjoy Diva Tequila, you WILL enjoy it.