Sex and the City Magnolia Cupcakes Recipe

My First Bite of a Magnolia Cupcake

My niece brought me one from New York years ago. I took one small bite. It was so light and sweet. I felt like I was in a fancy bakery.

I knew I had to learn to make them at home. Why should only New Yorkers have that joy? This recipe brings that joy to your kitchen. That matters more than anything.

Getting Your Ingredients Ready

First, get your butter and eggs out. Let them get cozy on the counter. Room temperature things mix together much better. It makes a smoother batter.

Now, mix your two flours together in a bowl. Just give them a little stir. Set them aside for now. This little step makes the cupcakes rise evenly. I still do it this way.

The Heart of the Cupcake

Time to use your mixer. Cream the butter until it’s smooth. Then add the sugar slowly. Beat it until it looks fluffy and pale. Doesn’t that smell amazing already?

Add the eggs, one at a time. Let each one say hello to the butter before adding the next. Now, add your flour mix and milk in turns. Start and end with the flour. Mix just until you can’t see flour anymore.

What’s your favorite part of baking? Is it mixing, or is it the smell from the oven? Tell me in the comments.

Baking and Cooling

Spoon the batter into your lined cups. Fill them three-quarters full. This gives them space to grow a nice round top. Pop them in your preheated oven.

Wait for about 20 minutes. Your kitchen will smell wonderful. A toothpick should come out clean. Let them cool completely in the pan first. Then move them to a rack.

Fun fact: letting cupcakes cool fully stops the icing from melting. Patience makes a prettier treat!

The Famous Pink Icing

The icing is simple magic. Beat the butter, some sugar, milk, and vanilla. It will look creamy. Then add more sugar until it’s thick and spreadable.

Now for the pink! Add just a drop or two of food coloring. Mix it all through. This pink icing is their signature look. It makes the cupcake special before you even taste it.

The Final Flourish

Frost those cool cupcakes generously. Use your knife to make a little swirl on top. That swirl is the Magnolia Bakery trademark. Then, add your sprinkles right away.

This isn’t just baking. It’s making a little moment of happiness. That’s why it matters. Sharing something beautiful is a kind of love.

Do you like lots of sprinkles, or just a few? And what color would you make your icing? I love hearing your ideas.

Ingredients:

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Self-rising flour	1-1/2 cups
All-purpose flour	1-1/4 cups
Unsalted butter, softened	1 cup (2 sticks)	For the cupcake batter
Granulated sugar	2 cups
Large eggs, room temperature	4
Milk	1 cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Unsalted butter, softened	1 cup (2 sticks)	For the Vanilla Buttercream Icing
Confectioners’ sugar	6-8 cups
Milk	1/2 cup
Vanilla extract	2 teaspoons
Pink food coloring	As needed	Optional, for decoration
Sprinkles	As needed	For decoration

My Famous Magnolia Cupcakes (Just Like the TV Show!)

Hello, my dear! Come sit at the counter. Let’s bake my famous Magnolia cupcakes. I saw that show once, you know. All those ladies in New York City loved them. I thought, “My cupcakes could make anyone smile.” So I tried the recipe. Now, it’s my go-to for birthdays and happy days. Doesn’t that smell amazing already? Let’s begin.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
• 1 ¼ 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

For the Pink Icing

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 4-6 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pink food coloring
• Sprinkles, for decorating

Instructions

Step 1: First, get your oven ready. Heat it to 350 degrees. Line your muffin tins with pretty paper liners. I like the pastel ones. In a small bowl, mix your two flours together. Just give them a little stir. Set that bowl aside for now.

Step 2: Now, let’s make the batter. Cream the softened butter in your mixer. It should look smooth. Slowly add the sugar. Beat it until it’s light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one. Let each one say hello before adding the next. (A hard-learned tip: room temperature eggs mix in much better. Trust me!).

Step 3: Time to combine everything. Add some of the flour mix, then a bit of milk and vanilla. Repeat until it’s all in. Don’t overbeat! Just mix until you can’t see flour anymore. Scrape the bowl with a spatula. The batter will be lovely and thick. Why do we add things little by little? Share below!

Step 4: Spoon the batter into your liners. Fill them about three-quarters full. This gives them room to rise into perfect little domes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. They’re done when a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean. Let them cool completely. I still laugh at how I once iced a warm cupcake. What a sweet, melty mess!

Step 5: Finally, the pink icing! Beat the butter, 4 cups of sugar, milk, and vanilla. It will be creamy. Add more sugar until it’s thick and spreadable. Now, add a few drops of pink food coloring. Swirl it on thick with a knife. Top with a mountain of sprinkles. There you have it. Pure happiness.

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (with cooling)
Yield: About 24 cupcakes
Category: Dessert, Baking

Three Fun Ways to Shake Things Up

These cupcakes are perfect as-is. But sometimes, it’s fun to play. Here are three twists I’ve tried over the years. They always surprise my grandkids.

• Lemon Sunshine: Add lemon zest to the batter. Use lemon juice in the icing instead of milk. So bright and cheerful!
• Berry Surprise: Place a single fresh raspberry in the bottom of each liner before adding batter. A juicy secret inside!
• Cookies & Cream: Mix crushed chocolate sandwich cookies into the batter. Use vanilla icing and top with cookie crumbs.

Which one would you try first? Comment below!

Serving Them With Style

Presentation is part of the joy. For a party, I arrange them on a tall cake stand. It looks so fancy! You could also serve them with a little bowl of extra sprinkles. Let guests add their own. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side is never wrong.

For drinks, a cold glass of milk is the classic choice. It just is. For the grown-ups, a little glass of champagne or prosecco pairs beautifully. The bubbles cut through the sweet icing. It feels like a celebration. Which would you choose tonight?

Keeping Cupcakes Fresh and Happy

Let’s talk about keeping your cupcakes lovely. First, cool them completely. Warm cupcakes sweat and get soggy. I learned that the hard way once. I iced a warm batch for a party. The frosting melted right off.

Store frosted cupcakes in a sealed container. They last two days on the counter. Unfrosted cakes can be frozen for two months. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap first. This keeps them tasting like you just baked them.

You can make the batter ahead, too. Just cover and refrigerate it overnight. This matters because it saves you morning stress. Baking in batches means you always have a treat ready. Have you ever tried storing cupcakes this way? Share below!

Simple Fixes for Common Cupcake Troubles

Sometimes baking has little hiccups. Do not worry. Here are easy fixes. First, flat or dense cupcakes. This often means you over-mixed the batter. I remember doing this as a girl. My cupcakes looked like little pancakes.

Just mix until the flour disappears. Second, cracked tops. Your oven might be too hot. An oven thermometer helps a lot. Third, runny frosting. Simply add more powdered sugar, a cup at a time.

Getting these right builds your confidence. It also makes your treats taste and look perfect. That is a wonderful feeling. Which of these problems have you run into before?

Your Cupcake Questions, Answered

Q: Can I make these gluten-free? A: Yes. Use a good gluten-free flour blend. Replace both flours with the same total amount.

Q: Can I bake them ahead? A: Absolutely. Bake and cool them a day early. Frost them the day you plan to serve.

Q: What if I have no self-rising flour? A: Make your own. For this recipe, mix 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour with 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt.

Q: Can I halve the recipe? A: You can. Just halve every ingredient. You will get about 12 lovely cupcakes.

Q: Are sprinkles required? A: Of course not. But they are pure joy. The original Magnolia Bakery uses pastel nonpareils. Which tip will you try first?

Share Your Sweet Creations

I hope you have fun baking these. They are a little taste of magic. I love seeing your kitchen adventures. Please share your beautiful cupcakes with me.

Take a picture of your finished treats. Show me your swirls and sprinkles. It makes my day to see them. Have you tried this recipe? Tag us on Pinterest!

Happy cooking! —Chloe Hartwell.