My First Magnolia Cupcake
I first tried one in New York City. My granddaughter begged me to go. The line was so long! But the first bite was magic. It was sweet, soft, and perfect.
I knew I had to make them at home. I still laugh at that. I wanted to share that happy bite with my own family. That’s why this recipe matters. It brings a little big-city joy to your kitchen.
Getting Your Butter Ready
Let’s talk about your butter. It must be soft. Leave it on the counter for an hour. Poke it with your finger. It should give easily.
This step is so important. Soft butter creams with sugar beautifully. It makes your cupcakes light and fluffy. Hard butter just won’t work the same. Trust me on this!
The Heart of the Cupcake
Mixing is a gentle dance. Add your dry flour mix and milk in turns. Start and end with the flour. Mix just until you see no more white streaks.
Overbeating makes tough cupcakes. We want tender crumbs. Fun fact: The show made these cupcakes famous. But the bakery was already a star!
Now, fill the liners three-quarters full. This gives them space to rise into a perfect dome. Doesn’t that smell amazing while they bake?
The Pink Cloud on Top
The icing is a dream. It’s just butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add the sugar slowly. You can stop when it looks right.
Now for the pink! Add one drop at a time. Stir. You want a soft, pretty color. Like a spring flower. What’s your favorite color for frosting? I’d love to know.
The Final Swirl & A Tip
Frost them generously. Use a knife to make a big swirl on top. This is the Magnolia signature. Then add sprinkles right away!
Here is my big tip. Let the cupcakes cool completely. I know it’s hard to wait. But warm cupcakes melt the icing. Patience makes it perfect.
This matters because food made with care tastes better. Sharing them matters even more. Did you bake these for a special day, or just a Tuesday treat?
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 | For the cupcake batter |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon | For the cupcake batter |
| Unsalted butter, softened | 1 cup (2 sticks) | For the Vanilla Buttercream Icing |
| Confectioners’ sugar | 6-8 cups | For the Vanilla Buttercream Icing |
| Milk | 1/2 cup | For the Vanilla Buttercream Icing |
| Vanilla extract | 2 teaspoons | For the Vanilla Buttercream Icing |
| Pink food coloring | As desired | For decoration |
| Sprinkles | As desired | For decoration |
Magnolia Bakery’s Famous Cupcakes
Hello, my dear! Let’s bake some joy. These are the famous cupcakes from that New York bakery. I saw the line for them once. It went around the block! The secret is in the simple, happy flavors. Doesn’t that smell amazing?
We’ll make the cake first. It’s a classic butter cake. It reminds me of birthday parties long ago. Here is how we do it, step by step.
- Step 1: First, get your oven ready. Heat it to 350 degrees. Line your muffin tins with pretty paper liners. I like the floral 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 cream the butter and sugar. Use your electric mixer. Beat the soft butter until it’s smooth. Then slowly add the sugar. Keep beating for three minutes. It will become light and fluffy. I still laugh at how my grandson used to eat this mix!
- Step 3: Add the eggs next. Do this one at a time. Beat each one in fully before adding the next. This makes the batter strong. Now, add your flour mix and milk. Add them in three turns: flour, milk, flour, milk, flour. (A hard-learned tip: don’t overbeat now! Just mix until you can’t see flour.)
- Step 4: Spoon the batter into your liners. Fill them three-quarters full. This gives them space to rise into perfect little domes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. They are done when a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Let them cool completely before we frost. What’s your favorite cupcake flavor? Share below!
- Step 5: Time for the pink buttercream! Beat the soft butter with four cups of sugar, milk, and vanilla. It will look a bit messy at first. Keep mixing for five minutes. It becomes so creamy. Add more sugar until it’s thick and spreadable. Then, add a few drops of pink food coloring. Mix it until it’s a perfect blush color.
- Step 6: Now for the fun part. Frost those cool cupcakes generously. Use your knife to make a little swirl on top. It’s the bakery’s signature look. Finally, shower them with sprinkles. The more the merrier, I always say. There you have it. A little taste of New York City right in your kitchen.
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (with cooling)
Yield: About 24 cupcakes
Category: Dessert, Baking
Three Sweet Twists to Try
Once you master the classic, you can play. Here are three fun ideas. They make the cupcakes your own. I love a little change now and then.
- Lemon Sunshine: Add lemon zest to the cake batter. Use lemon juice in the icing instead of milk. Top with yellow sprinkles.
- Berry Swirl: Drop a teaspoon of raspberry jam into each cupcake before baking. Frost with plain vanilla buttercream.
- Chocolate Chip Joy: Fold a cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter. It’s a surprise in every bite.
Which one would you try first? Comment below!
Serving Them Up with Style
These cupcakes are a celebration all by themselves. But you can make them extra special. For a party, arrange them on a tall cake stand. It looks so elegant. You could also serve them with a bowl of fresh berries on the side. The tart fruit is lovely with the sweet frosting.
What to drink? A cold glass of milk is always perfect. It’s my favorite. For the grown-ups, a little glass of champagne or prosecco is a classic pairing. It’s very “Sex and the City,” you know. Which would you choose tonight?
Keeping Cupcakes Fresh and Happy
Let’s talk about storing these sweet treats. First, cool cupcakes completely. Frosted ones stay fresh in a container for two days. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze beautifully for a month. Just wrap them tightly.
I remember my first batch. I iced them warm. The frosting melted into a puddle. It was a sweet, messy lesson. Now I always wait.
Batch cooking saves time for busy weeks. Bake a double batch. Freeze half for a future surprise. This matters because good food should bring joy, not stress. Have you ever tried storing cupcakes this way? Share below!
Simple Fixes for Common Cupcake Troubles
Sometimes baking has little hiccups. Here are easy fixes. If cupcakes dome too much, your oven might be too hot. Try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees.
I once overfilled the liners. Batter spilled over in the oven. Now I fill them only three-quarters full. This matters for even baking and pretty results.
If frosting is too runny, add more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a teaspoon of milk. Getting the texture right builds your kitchen confidence. 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 made for baking.
Q: Can I make parts ahead? A: Absolutely. Make the batter a few hours early. Keep it chilled in the fridge.
Q: What if I don’t have self-rising flour? A: For each cup, use 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt.
Q: Can I halve the recipe? A: You can. Just halve all the ingredients carefully. *Fun fact: The original bakery sold hundreds of these daily!*
Q: Are sprinkles required? A: No, but they add joy. Use your favorite colors. Which tip will you try first?
Share Your Sweet Creations
I hope you have fun baking these. I love seeing your kitchen adventures. Your version is the most important one.
Please share your beautiful cupcakes with me. I would love to see your pink swirls and sprinkle choices. It makes my day.
Have you tried this recipe? Tag us on Pinterest! You can find me at @ChloesKitchen. Happy cooking!
—Chloe Hartwell.
Sex and the City Magnolia Cupcakes Recipe
Description
Bake the iconic Magnolia Bakery cupcakes from Sex and the City! Easy vanilla cupcake recipe with fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting. Perfect for a girls’ night in.
Ingredients
Vanilla Buttercream Icing:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffins tins with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. 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 three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
- To make the icing, place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes). The icing should be thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need all of the sugar.
- If desired, add a few drops of pink food coloring and mix thoroughly.
- Generously frost each cupcake, adding a final flourish with the knife at the end to create the signature swirl on Magnolia cupcakes. Top with sprinkles.
Notes
- Nutrition information is not provided in the text.
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