Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes and Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

Directions:

1. Prep Time: 5 min
2. Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 0 min
3. Cook Time: 40 min
4. Level:
5. Easy
6. Serves:
7. Cupcakes
8. Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcake
9. Recipe courtesy Allysa Torey, More From Magnolia: Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery and Allysa Torey's Home
10. Kitchen, Simon and Schuster, 2004
11. Everyone is always asking us which is the most popular cupcake at the bakery. Most people are
12. Surprised that it is what we call the Vanilla Vanilla - the vanilla cupcake with the vanilla icing (and the
13. Most popular color for the icing is pink). If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide
14. The batter between 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and bake the layers for 30 to 40 minutes.
15. Ingredients
16. Cupcakes:
17. /2 cups self-rising flour
18. /4 cups all-purpose flour
19. Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
20. Cups sugar
21. Large eggs, at room temperature
22. Cup milk
23. Teaspoon vanilla extract
24. Icing:
25. Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows
26. Directions
27. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
28. Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.
29. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
30. 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,
31. 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
32. And vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down
33. The batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about
34. /4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
35. Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
36. Vanilla Buttercream:
37. The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and
38. Butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.
39. Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
40. To 8 cups confectioners' sugar
41. /2 cup milk
42. Teaspoons vanilla extract
43. 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,
44. 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
45. (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
46. Desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if
47. Chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
48. Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake