LIfe's a bowl of cupcakes...

What do I do when I am home for 6 weeks without a job or any real responsibilities?

Bake insane amounts of cupcakes of course!

With the taste of New York City's Magnolia Bakery cupcakes still lingering on my tongue, I thought I'd try my hand at some cupcake magic!

Armed

with the COMPLETE Magnolia Bakery Cookbook (be jealous), I heated up my oven with a vengence! I was on a mission... A quest for cupcake glory that would recreate the magic of Magnolia!

And I invited some friends!

Because it is just wrong to eat 4 dozen cupcakes by oneself.

Nothing says "I LOVE YOU FRIEND" like a cupcake!

I thought I would share with you a little bit of the magic...

Here is the recipe for

Magnolia's

Vanilla Cupcakes with

Vanilla Buttercream frosting!

** Before you make them.. BIG HINT! Really cream your room temp. butter and sugar together until light and fluffy! And don't you dare add your dry and wet ingredients at the same time! You really need to follow the recipe to get a perfect lil' cake!***

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

1.In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.

2.Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3.Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

4.Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat.

5.Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.

6.Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing:

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy (3 to 5 minutes.)

2.Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency.

**You may not need to add all of the sugar.

**If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

GREAT IDEA ALERT: Give cupcakes as christmas gifts! Everyone loves em' and there is no gift receipt required!