Maureen's Food Passion: The Magnificent Cupcake

If you have ever been to the Village in New York City, you probably know about Magnolia Bakery. And if you know about Magnolia Bakery, you know about AMAZING cupcakes! I first had these cupcakes about 4 years ago, and I still dream about them. Those of you in-the-know know why; for those of you who don't, let me share. The cupcakes, the vanilla ones in particular, at Magnolia Bakery are just divine... They're moist and the icing is sweet and perfect. I usually hate your standard sugary icing, but this one is different. I think it's the touch of milk in the icing. But whatever it is, it's a little bit of happiness with every bite. And these cupcakes are so simple, too -- just a vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream, with a touch of food coloring to make oh-so-pretty pastel icing, and a few sprinkles. No fancy shmancy flavors or additives -- just pure goodness.

And for those of you who can't make it out to Magnolia Bakery on a regular, or even semi-regular, basis, I have just the solution for you. I have the recipe! It's actually pretty easy to find nowadays on the internet. But when I first found this recipe a few years back, I was elated. I have only made them three times, most recently a few days back for a friend's going away party, but that isn't to say I don't crave them more often. They're such a special treat (and loaded with butter and sugar) that I only reserve having them when I go to NYC or if I have a special occasion to make them. By the way, when I made these cupcakes for that party, they were ALL the rage! Why shouldn't they be?! Everyone had extremely positive exclamaitons of joy when eating them, including "These are THE best cupcakes ever! Hands down! HANDS DOWN!" and "This makes me happy." =)

So, without further ado, here is the recipe for these magnificent cupcakes. I KNOW you will enjoy them as much as I do!

The Magnificent Cupcakes - Made by ME!

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins)

CUPCAKES:
· 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
· 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
· 2 cups sugar
· 4 large eggs, at room temperature
· 1 cup milk
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

ICING: Vanilla Buttercream (Recipe Follows)
· 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
· 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
· 1/2 cup milk (room temperature)
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

*Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.

Icing:
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*Note: If you are icing a 3-layer cake, use the following recipe proportions: 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter 8 to 10 cups confectioners’ sugar 3/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

*** I suggest ussing all 8 cups of confectioners sugar for the icing in order for it to be thick enough to sit atop the cupcakes without running down the sides. Also, you may want to whip the icing more than you think you should, and then let it sit a few minutes before spreading on cupcakes so that the icing is stiff enough to not run down the cupcake.****