magnolia cupcakes = love

OMG -- the best cupcakes EVER!! I might get sued for posting this recipe...just kidding, I got the recipe from the Magnolia Bakery cook book!! If you haven't had a Magnolia cupcake, I feel sorry for you ;) It is from the famous Magnolia bakery in NYC, the bakery is on Bleecker & 11th street (right next to Marc Jacobs!!). You can wait up to an hour in line for these little guys....but it is SOOOO worth the while!! They have 3 different kind of cupcakes to choose from (Vanilla with Chocolate frosting, Chocolate with White frosting, and Vanilla on Vanilla - my FAVORITE!!) So without further adieu, lol! I made these tonight to have for my party tommorow....sooooo good, and so worth trying to make them yourself. If you handed me one blind folded, I would totally know they were Magnolia's!! Next time you are in NYC check them out...also they have a new store front on 39th & 6th avenue, so it is easier to get to if you are staying uptown. Enjoy!
Watch the you tube skit on how to frost them with link above...I didnt find this until after I made them (as you can tell) :(

Cupcakes:
~1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
~1 1/4 c. app-purpose flour
~1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
~2 c. sugar
~4 large eggs, at room temp
~1 c. milk (I used non-fat, but whole would be better)
~1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pre-heat 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 med speed pf your electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually & beat until fluffy, about 3 mins. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with 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 & make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully! spoon the batter into the liners, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. (The batter is dense, & hard to get into the cups. I used a med size laddle filled with batter & used the spatula to place into the liners. The batter makes exactly 24 cupcakes).
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. (mine were done after 20 minutes)

Vanilla Buttercream frosting:
~1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
~6-8 c. confectioners' sugar (you will need 8 for best result)
~1/2 c. milk
~2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar & then the milk & vanilla. On the med speed of your electric mixer, beat until smooth & creamy, about 3-5 mins. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 mins), until the icing is thick enough to be of goodspreading consitency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring & mix throughly (I added green ;). (Use and store the icing at room temp because icing will set if chilled) It can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I made the icing while the cupcakes cooled. I also added sprinkles to the tops of the frosting ;)