January 29, 2007

"Let's hit up Magnolia and mack on some cupcakes!"

I am not a person who normally likes desserts. Hand me something salty or cheesy and I am in heaven. I do have one exception though - Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Icing.

My mother-in-law made this dreamy dessert for my husband's birthday last year and I now "love those cupcakes like McAdams loves Gosling". I think I crammed 2 in my mouth before the evening was over. The rest of them did not last the week in our house. The creamy vanilla taste is amazing!



Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe courtesy Allysa Torey, More From Magnolia: Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery and Allysa Torey's Home Kitchen, Simon and Schuster, 2004


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

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) 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, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. 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 3/4 full.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.


Vanilla Buttercream:

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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 to 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.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

holy look at you blogging away! Forgot to come by lately, sorry! Anyway, lately I've been making cupcakes that have adollop of cream cheese dropped into the middle of the batter- cheesecake cupcakes....The 'mom group' thinks they're to die for haha I'm such a nerd now!!! Hope you're doing well and keeping happy?! Cheers! Suz. (and I have a new website, had a little stalker issue with the old one!)