Although introduced to the Magnolia Bakery through the HBO Series ‘Sex and the City’ many years ago, my first taste of their cupcakes happened by chance as I was taking a stroll through the Grand Central Terminal Dining Hall during my second visit to New York and stumbled upon a stowaway branch of theirs. The Magnolia Bakery’s confectioneries are beloved to New Yorkers and if you’ve sunk your teeth into one of their cupcakes, especially the Magnolia Bakery Chocolate cupcake, you’ll know why.
If you haven’t read my New York Travelogue post, please do check it out to find my pick of 5 must-eat places in the Big Apple. What are yours? Let me know in the comments below!
The Cupcake itself, though lighter than air is not what steals the show. It’s the buttercream. Oh that buttercream! Songs should be sung about how creamy the buttercream is, so velvety that it almost tastes like whipped cream. As I was making the cupcakes and the buttercream, I realised how creamy and lighter-than-air both the cupcake batter and buttercream were. I’ve made a lot of cakes and cupcakes before, but nothing quite as airy as this one. The batter was so light – almost like a meringue- that I was afraid I’ll break it.
During my last visit to the local library, imagine my surprise when I found the Official Magnolia Bakery Cookbook!!! Shortly later, I found an online version as well, so for those interested, do check it out. Believe me when I say, these cupcakes are like nothing you’ve ever had before! They are so soft and so creamy (with no cream in it of course) that it just slides down your throat like silk.
So the key to these lighter-than-air cupcakes? Whisking for long periods of time. If the recipe says whisk on medium for three minutes, set your timer and whisk at medium speed for the full three minutes. You cannot over whip this batter, at least until you add the flour and baking soda. And this buttercream holds it’s shape very well at room temperature. Can you see my teeth mark in the frosting below? These cupcakes had been left out on the kitchen counter for the better part of the morning.
And as always, use good quality chocolate and vanilla. It makes quite a difference to the end product. I used Ghirardelli (60% cacao) bittersweet chocolate chips and pure vanilla bean paste in the batter and butter cream frosting. I am eating my second cupcake before noon as I type et je ne regrette rien! (…and I regret nothing!)
Now I’m gonna stop yapping and let’s get baking!
Magnolia’s Chocolate Cupcakes
- Prep Time:15m
- Cook Time:25m
- Total Time:40m
- Serves: 12
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 c all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 85 g (3oz) bittersweet chocolate, melted (~60% cacao)
- 1/2 c buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, sift together flour and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy.
- Add both the sugars, a little at a time and beat until fluffy and most of the sugars have dissolved, for about 3 minutes.
- Add one egg at a time, whisking thoroughly before adding another.
- Stir in the melted chocolate. Add vanilla to the buttermilk and keep ready.
- Add the flour and buttermilk+vanilla to the chocolate batter in three installments, alternating between flour and buttermilk. Whisk only until all the ingredients are combines and the batter is soft, smooth, fluffy and light as air.
- Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the lined muffin tins. The batter rises quite a bit, so fill them about 3/4 the capacity of each cupcake liner.
- Bake at 350°F/180°C for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the tin for a bit, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Note: Make absolutely sure that your cupcakes are completely cool before you begin icing it. Warm cakes and soft buttercream spell disaster.
Magnolia’s Chocolate Buttercream
- Prep Time:15m
- Total Time:15m
- Yield: For 12 cupcakes or one 9-inch 2-layer cake
Ingredients
- 170 g (1.5 sticks) of butter, softened
- 1 tbsp. milk
- 128 g (4.5 oz) bittersweet chocolate (~60% cacao), melted and cooled
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 c sifted confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, at medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter for a full 3 minutes. Add milk and whisk until smooth.
- Add melted chocolate and vanilla. Whisk for 3 minutes.
- Add sugar slowly and beat on low speed until combined to a piping consistency. Remember to scrape down the sides with a spatula as you combine the sugar.
- Pipe or use a spatula or spoon to spread buttercream on cooled cupcakes.
Mapusa says
Is there a way to make this using aquafaba/ substituting the egg? Thanks Xx
Tina Dawson says
I haven’t tried it myself, but I’m in the process of veganizing my favorite recipes from the blog (this included!) so stay tuned!!!!
Heather says
I follow the recipe exactly, but the cupcakes sink in the middle. What is causing them to sink and how do I keep it from happening?
Thank you for your help!
Tina Dawson says
Hey Heather, I am so sorry to hear that! This is an official recipe from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook and here’s what I noticed from my attempt at re-creating the recipe. The cupcakes DO rise a lot and fall as they cool, but it’s an even rise and fall, creating flat tops on cooling. Is that what happened? I used standard US cup measurements (1 cup = 235ml). Cupcakes sink in the middle when there’s too much air (either from eggs or baking soda/powder). If yours sunk in the middle, either whip less or add a pinch less of the leavening agents. The sinking should not have altered the taste in anyway, so cover up the top with buttercream and no one is the wiser. I hope that helps. I’d love to help you troubleshoot this more, if you want.
alexi says
I can’t wait to try these! Im so glad I found your site! it’s golden!
Anyway, do you think the consistency would change if I’d use 100% cacao instead of just 60% and increase sugar to 1 1/2 cup? (only have 100%)
thank you very much!! 🙂
love, alexi 🙂
Tina Dawson says
I assume you are talking about the icing – 100% cacao (that’s basically GOLD standard Chocolate, BTW) would be super bitter, and would need more than a 1/2 cup increase in sugar. So yes, the consistency would definitely change, as the extra icing sugar would make the frosting dry and not creamy. You would also have to increase the butter to counter that, but since I haven’t tried it, I cannot guarantee results. You could eye ball it, but it’s a risk I would not take, particularly on something as delicious as these cupcakes. I would suggest you save the 100% cacao chocolate for something else (baking is very finicky!) and make this with 60% cacao instead! 🙂
Laura says
These look amazing! and your bog is gorgeous! I love it!
Tina Dawson says
Thanks so much Laura! You made my day!!! 🙂 <3
Amanda Mason says
These do look so lovely and the way you describe them makes me want to get up and go make a batch! I had never heard of the Sex in the City reference! And I watched that show all the time! thanks for sharing this recipe!
Tina Dawson says
So the Magnolia Cupcakes are supposed to be Carrie Bradshaw’s favourite cupcakes. There’s definitely a scene where I think her and Miranda are sitting outside the shop eating a cupcake while talking….
nicole says
Yes — yes to all of this!!! These look incredible and I love to check out favorite food places I see on TV! Love these! Pinning for later 🙂
Tina Dawson says
Thanks a lot Nicole!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
These look like a chocoholics dream!
Tina Dawson says
I wouldn’t want to wake up from these!
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook says
Absolutely beautiful cupcakes. I’m glad you can now create your favorite cupcake at home! I’m not a huge fan of buttercream, but this chocolate version – sign me up!
Tina Dawson says
Lauren this buttercream tastes almost like a whipped cream frosting. It doesn’t taste like butter and grainy at all!