See this post on Body Soul and Spirit and read about these cupcakes. The picture above is of cupcakes we made using the recipe below.Here's the recipe that put cupcakes back on the map. It's from the Magnolia Bakery in New York, a small bakery with such a huge demand for cupcakes that customers are limited to a dozen.
Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes about 2 dozen large cupcakes
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) self-rising flour*
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (500 mL) sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (250 mL) milk
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
*To make your own self-rising flour, use 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of baking powder and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of salt for every two cups (500 mL) of flour.
(For 1-1/2 cups of flour use 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full (a large ice cream scoop does this job well). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of cupcake comes out clean.
Cool cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Vanilla Butter cream Icing
Note: This makes a LOT of icing. I used about a third of it to generously ice about 20 cupcakes, the number made from the recipe above.
Technically, this is not butter cream but an old-fashioned frosting made with confectioner's sugar and butter. Be sure to beat the icing for the time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.
1 cup (250 mL/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6-8 cups (1.5 to 2 L) confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract (I left this out and just put vanilla in the cake)
Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups (1 L) of the sugar, then the milk and vanilla. Using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy, about three to five minutes. Gradually add more sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about two minutes), until icing is thick enough to be a good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food colouring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature; it will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Approximate nutritional content per cupcake: Calories 420. Protein 3 g. Fat 18 g. Carbohydrates 64 g. Dietary fibre 0 g. Sodium 125 mg.
