My go-to vanilla cupcake and vanilla frosting recipes!

Anytime I can't decide what I want to make when I'm assigned or asked to bring a dessert...I think of my very favorite, go-to vanilla cupcake and vanilla frosting recipes.

While living in New York City, I quickly fell in love with Magnolia Bakery. After moving back to Utah my husband bought me the Magnolia bakery Cookbook! So now I have a piece of the bakery with me at home. I haven't tried as many of the recipes as I'd like..but I totally recommend this cookbook.

I make the vanilla cupcake as is. It's perfect, as long as I don't overfill the tins. :) (which i did this last time...) The frosting is great as is, but I recently made a few changes and think I'm going to stick to them.

Here are the recipes. Please enjoy!












Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes (Traditional Vanilla Birthday Cake)

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

Icing:

* Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

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, 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 and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.


Vanilla Buttercream:

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (I always try to use Land-o-Lakes, Challenge, Meadow Gold or Winder Farms butter)
8 cups confectioners' sugar (I use C&H and I don't feel the need to sift with this recipe)
1/2 cup milk (I now use heavy cream, Meadow Gold)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I use Blue Cattle Truck Vanilla brand)

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, 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 (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 desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

Recipe from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook and this version via Food Network Web site.

If you have try this recipe, let me know what you think!