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RECIPES

I Tried Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Cupcake Recipe,

and Now I Understand the Hype
By JESSE SZEWCZYK Published Aug 1, 2021

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

B
efore there were rainbow bagels, cronuts, or edible cookie dough,
there were Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. The world-famous
cupcakes, made famous by Sex and the City, have been a staple of
New York City tourist attractions for as long as I can remember. But lucky
for us, Magnolia Bakery shared the recipe for their signature vanilla cupcake
in their own cookbook — so you don’t need to travel to the Big Apple to
enjoy one.

To see what all the fuss was about, I decided to include the recipe as part of
our vanilla cupcake recipe showdown. Would it be worth the hype? Here’s
my honest review.

Get the recipe: Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Cupcakes

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

How to Make Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Cupcakes

Magnolia Bakery’s cupcake recipe comes together quickly and without a lot
of ingredients. You’ll start by combining all-purpose flour with self-rising
flour. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Slowly add
sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk and vanilla extract.
Mix until smooth, then divide among cupcake liners. Bake until a cake tester
inserted into the center comes out clean, and let cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand
mixer, combine butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat
until smooth, adding additional confectioners’ sugar as needed to thicken it
up. Frost the cupcakes and enjoy.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

My Honest Review of Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla

Cupcakes
After just one bite, I immediately understood what the fuss is all about.
These cupcakes are very good. The cake has a delicate crumb and airy
texture similar to a sponge cake. The flavor is mild, with just a faint
vanilla essence. The frosting is also delicious and the smoothest of all the
recipes I tested. The addition of milk seemed to help dissolve some of the
powdered sugar and help it become silky.

While the cupcakes are delicious, I prefer a slightly moister cupcake with a
bolder vanilla flavor. I would describe these cupcakes as “delicate,” and
while I appreciate that quality, it’s not my personal favorite. Overall the
cupcakes are very, very good, though — so if you like light and airy
cupcakes, this is the recipe for you.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

If You’re Making Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla

Cupcakes, a Few Tips
1. Make sure you’re using self-rising flour. Self-rising flour has
leavening agents already in it, helping the cupcakes rise. If you were to skip
the self-rising flour and use cake or entirely all-purpose flour instead, they
would turn out dense.

2. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. This

will help make the batter silky smooth and prevent lumps of unincorporated
butter.

3. Feel free to up the amount of vanilla extract used. I personally

would have liked a touch more vanilla flavor in these cupcakes, so feel free
to double the amount if you’re a fan of bold vanilla flavors.

4. Use a spoon or offset spatula to get the iconic swooshed

frosting look. I found that the easiest way to achieve the classic Magnolia
Bakery swoosh was to dollop a hefty blob of frosting on top of the cupcakes
and use an offset spatula or spoon to swoosh it around in a circle motion.
The faster I worked, the better they turned out.

Rating: 9/10

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Have you ever made Magnolia Bakery’s vanilla cupcake recipe? Tell us what
you thought in the comments!

Jesse Szewczyk
STUDIO FOOD EDITOR

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