The Quintessential Cupcake

Today is my husband's birthday. He had only one request... Magnolia cupcakes. I was happy to bake the delicious mini-cakes as they also happen to be one of my favorite sweets. Having moved from New York, we both miss late night trips to the West Village sugar dealer, but luckily our favorite little bakery has published a cookbook. While Magnolia's most popular cupcake combo is vanilla vanilla, our favorite is chocolate vanilla. There's something about that gooey, chocolate buttercream that I just can't get enough of, at least until the sugar coma hits. So if you're in New York, go to Magnolia right now, but if you're not, you may want to invest in their cookbook chock full of deliciousness, including the recipes for vanilla vanilla cupcakes and Magnolia's famous banana pudding.

Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes
Recipes courtesy of More From Magnolia

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

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside. 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. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

Chocolate Buttercream
1 1/2 (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of desired consistency.