I love a great bakery cupcake. Not the kind where the icing is made with shortening, but the one made with real butter (I want the calories to be delicious- don’t you?) This cupcake recipe comes from a famous bakery in New York City called Magnolia’s Bakery. These cupcakes are delicate in texture and have that signature bakery taste. The icing, well just let me say, it is divine!  Euphoria is the word I would use!

Magnolia’s Bakery Cupcakes with Sweetapolita Icing

Cupcakes 
1 and 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup 2% milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with 30 cupcake liners. In a small bowl, whisk flours together and set aside. Measure milk and add vanilla. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with milk and vanilla mixture. With each addition, beat until ingredients are just incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of bowl and mix briefly one more time. Using an ice cream scoop, place batter in cupcake liners. Don’t fill over 2/3 full or they will overflow! 

Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out just clean (a few crumbs are okay), about 18 minutes. Cool in tins for 15 minutes. Gently remove from tins (they are delicate and will squish easily). Cool completely on a wire rack before icing. Makes 30 cupcakes.

Icing 
1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
5 cups confectioners’ sugar 
2 tablespoons 2% milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 5 minutes on medium speed. Butter will become pale & creamy. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed 1 minute, then on medium speed for 5 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl and ix again. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy. Add touch of gel food color, if desired and mix until blended.
Store cupcakes in a bakery box instead of an airtight container. (If you use an airtight container the paper liners will come loose from the cupcakes.) Cupcake recipe adapted from Magnolia Bakery, icing recipe adapted from Sweetapolita. 

Published in The News and Neighbor on May 21, 2022.