Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes

I found this recipe on the New York Times website. Its from Magnolia, the famous New York bakery. How could I resist such an offer! I frosted the cupcakes to look like roses. At first, I hada lot of trouble making the roses look somewhat like roses but after a while they looked great!

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes
Yeilds 24 regular-sized cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pans

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pans

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 2 12-cup muffin tins and then line with cupcake papers or grease. Mix the flours together in a bowl. In a glass measure, mix the milk and vanilla.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer at 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. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk and the vanilla, beating well after each addition. Spoon the batter into muffin cups about 3/4 full.

3. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pans and cool on a rack before icing.


Roses Frosting

You'll need a stiff frosting to make these roses as they will need to hold their shape. I used a store bought icing then added A LOT of icing sugar. I would not suggest this method. Make it from scratch! There are tons of recipes online and unfortunately I can't find the one I used the second time I made these so here is one that looks like it would work. I also added edible glitter to some of my cupcakes.

Here is a tutorial on youtube showing how to make the roses.

Bon Appetit!

Read more...

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

These cupcakes were made for a fellow lifeguard's birthday this summer. The batter recipe came from my favorite cupcake book. The cupcakes were a huge hit. The recipe is for regular sized cupcakes, but I made them into minis, as per usual.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Yeilds 18-24 regular-sized cupcakes or 36-48 minis

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 ounces (1/3 cup) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped, melted
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup chocolate milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with liners.

2. Cream together the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Beat the melted chocolate into the butter mixture. Add the eggs, peppermint extract, and chocolate milk. Beat until creamy.

3. In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking soda.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and chocolate mixture until well blended. With a spatula stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
6. Frost the cupcakes using a mint Frosting. I used a ready made vanilla icing and then added mint extract, however you can make it from scratch as well.

Enjoy!

Read more...