Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Cupcakes

Last year my friend Dana got me best present, The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook for my birthday last year. I poured through it and marked several pages of recipes I wanted to make. So when I finally got around to baking in my new apartment, these cupcakes were on the top of my list. Magnolia cupcakes didn't disappoint... in fact they didn't stay around long enough. The cupcakes were very rich and so flavorful!

I loved the simplicity of the recipe and vanilla is my absolute favorite! These very nearly rival my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe from Billy's Bakery. The cake is very tender but it dries out very quickly so as soon as the cupcakes are cooled, keep them in a large, sealed plastic Tupperware container. The buttercream was very sweet and is the perfect contrast to the cake. 

Rainbow Disco Dust

The buttercream, isn't a traditional buttercream. It really didn't set like buttercream. It also looked curdled during mixing, however, just keep mixing if this happens. It will come together eventually! This buttercream must be refrigerated!!!

Magnolia Bakery’s VanillaCupcakes

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes approx depending on the size of your cupcake liners

1 ½ cup self-rising flour

1 ¼ cup all purpose flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F˚ degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a small bowl combine the flours and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine flours; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, and scraping down sides of bowl in between each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about three-quarters full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool in tins for 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tins, and cool completely on rack. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Serve at room temperature.

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Buttercream

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk



In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, 4 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating for about 2 minutes after each addition, until icing reaches desired consistency; you may not need to add all the sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
I topped the cupcakes with 1 cup of room temperature coconut mixed in with William Sonoma's silver shimmering sugar and iridescent luster dust. Enjoy!!

I made a beautiful chocolate tree with snow (coconut)  and ice (rainbow disco dust) but it was too heavy  to be set a top a cupcake...boo!