i love new york city -- i am as obsessed with it as i am paris. and a ritual most new yorkers partake in -- at some point or another -- is lining up for cupcakes from magnolia bakery. and while i don't get the obsession with the shop, i aspire to bake amazing things. so, over the weekend, i whipped up my very first batch of red velvet cupcakes (avec a sugary sweet topping) with a recipe from the famed bakery. judging by the fact there are no cupcakes left in the house (and i made them 18 hours ago), i'd say my baking was a success. dessert, anyone?
cupcake ingredients
3 ½ cups cake flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
6 tbsp red food coloring
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 ½ tsp cider vinegar
1 ½ tsp baking soda
frosting ingredients
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
cupcake directions
preheat oven to 350°F.
in a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about five minutes. add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. in a small bowl, whisk together the red food colouring, cocoa and vanilla. add to the batter and beat well.
in a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. with each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. in a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. add to the batter and mix well. using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
pour the batter into muffin tin trays. arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake the cupcakes, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until a knife or toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. cool the cupcakes in the pan 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely before icing.
to ice, mound about 1/4 cup of frosting on top of each cupcake -- use an icing spatula to make a swirl on top. if desired, decorate with coloured sprinkles.
frosting directions
in a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10 to 15 minutes. cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
in a large bowl, on the medium-high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for three minutes, until smooth and creamy. gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for three minutes until fluffy. add the vanilla and beat well.
add the cooled milk mixture and continue to beat on the medium-high speed for five minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in colour. cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. use immediately.
