Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcake

Happy Birthday BabyGirl!! She is 2 today! So in honor of her day I made her a cupcake. The recipe came off of FoodNetwork’s site and it is from the Magnolia Bakery. I hear people talk on TV about different bakeries in New York and often wonder what their recipes really taste like and if I could actually duplicate them at home. Well, I tried my very best on the recipe but first you must know a few things before looking at my result. Number one, the recipe yields 24 cupcakes and I did the math and made only 6. Number two, I was in a terrible hurry because I wanted her to enjoy her cupcake for dessert and it was almost dinner time. Number three, I made the icing 3 times. I tried to mix it according to directions to achieve a smooth consistency. Mine was consistent, consistently grainy looking. I beat the fool out of it with my Kitchenaid no less. Oh well. Maybe it was because I divided the recipe twice. Maybe it was because I was in a hurry and my sugar clumped. Maybe it was because I was not in New York.
The taste was great. The cake was wonderful. My husband said that it tasted very fresh and BabyGirl clapped her hands while she had a mouth full. I think that the cake was better than a 1-2-3-4 Cake, which I didn’t think was possible. The batter was beautiful in the bowl. The icing was very sweet. It was such a shame that it was not beautiful also. If anyone else tries this and has a different result please let me know what you did differently.
I apologize for not having more posts this week. Until we get moved into our new house the posts may be few and far between. But, when you least expect it a new recipe may be coming your way. So don’t forget to check!

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcake
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

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. You can also use2 (9-inch) round cake pans and bake the layers for 30 to 40 minutes.
Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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.