Here's a pic of Magnolia Cupcakes and it looks like a buttercream frosting to me.

{{!gwi}}

In Feb as I'd like to host a Virtual Cocktails and Cupcakes Soirée for Valentine's Day and we'll see if Magnolia's has the best cupcakes or not...LOL!!

I love making cupcakes!

Michelle

I've never been to NYC or had these cupcakes but she has. I think they were also mentioned on Sex and the City and she is a big fan.
I do remember hearing a NPR show talking to some guy that tried to figure out actual calories for things - apparently the calories marked on many things are just estimates or somehow not really tested and correct. He said Magnolia's cupcakes had 1200 calories compared to a Hostess cupcake which was like 400 or 700 (can't remember:) = but still at least about half! So I guess they must be good.
They are festive.

Magnolia is a "world famous" bakery. If you know the name of the cupcake it may be in the cookbook I have; More from Magnolia.

I googled and found the recipe and it is buttercream frosting. WOW...lots of sugar in this recipe!!!

Magnolia's Cupcakes
CAKE
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour three 9- x 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

2. To make the cake: In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter 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. Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition. Divide batter among the cake pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

3. If you're making cupcakes, line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Spoon the batter into the cups about three-quarters full. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 to 22 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on a rack before icing. When cake has cooled, ice between the layers, then ice top and sides of cake.

4. To make the icing: Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and the vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (you may very well not need all of the sugar). If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. Use and store icing at room temperature, as icing will set if chilled. Can store in an airtight container for up to three days.

I'm in Michelle, but I am making the BIG cupcake, LOL!

They are pretty, and since DD and I are big Sex and the City fans, we HAD to trek to the Magnolia and pick some cupcakes up . . . but . . . they're really not any different than any other frosted cupcake. Really. Any good cupcake recipe with a giant swirl of pastel buttercream, a few sprinkles and . . . viola! . . . you've made a "Magnolia."

I agree with pixistix -- I'm a newyorker, and I think the Magnolia cupcakes are really overrated... Very sweet, and very very sweet frosting... I really don't think they're much of anything special. What is special about Magnolias is the outrageously good smell of all the butter and sugar that wafts from that small storefront... But as for taste? Eh...

Emily

I am making the BIG cupcake, LOL!

Kathleen loves her BIG cupcake!

LOLLLOOLLOOL!!

Michelle

I thought Magnolia made lots of different cupcakes. I went years ago, at least I thought it was Magnolia. They were good but nothing to die for, as pixie and fearless said.

Thanks for the recipe and all the inputs!
Do any of you have killer cupcake recipe's? Maybe there aren't that many ways to make them I don't know:) If anyone has a recipe they like better maybe my friend and I will do a bake-off:)
I was in the bookstore last night and saw a little pink daily tear off calendar that was a cupcake recipe a day. From some book, can't remember the name.....500 Cupcake's? I'll probably get her the calendar or the book for Christmas.

I've made these - very good! Note: I did leave out the coconut as my family does not care for it.

From Emeril.com

OOEY GOOEY STUFFED CUPCAKES

Ingredients needed:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sifted cocoa powder (for chocolate cupcakes)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, cracked into a small cup or saucer
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot water
Chocolate Sauce
OOEY GOOEY FILLING:
6 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 1 (12-cup) muffin tin with 12 paper muffin-tin liners and place 4 paper muffin-tin liners inside another muffin tin. Add 2 tablespoons of water to each of the paperless muffin wells.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the remaining ingredients, adding the hot water last. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among the paper muffin-tin liners.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar. Fold in the chocolate chips and coconut. Drop the cream cheese mixture into the center of the cupcakes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cupcakes rise and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle chocolate sauce over cupcakes when serving.
Yield: 16 cupcakes

Would you please tell me how you made that big cupcake.I would like to do that. Thanks.

I've been using Nigella Lawson's cupcake recipe-very light and airy. If you are looking for a very dense cupcake, this is NOT it :)

Cupcakes:
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon soft butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Royal Icing, recipe follows

Special equipment: 12 bun muffin pan, lined with muffin papers.

Take everything you need out of the fridge in time to get to room temperature - and this makes a huge difference to the lightness of the cupcakes later - and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put all of the ingredients for the cupcakes except for the milk into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Pulse while adding the milk down the funnel, to make a smooth dropping consistency.

Divide the mixture between a 12-bun muffin tin lined with muffin papers, and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. They should have risen and be golden on top. Let them cool a little in their tins on a rack, and then take them carefully out of the tin to cool in their papers, still on the wire rack.

Mille, I'll let you in on Kathleen's secret................

Here is a link that might be useful: Big Cupcake