Magnolia Bakery’s Cupcakes
Updated August 25, 2025
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
- Total Time
- About 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pans
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pans
1 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Nutritional analysis per serving
28 grams carbs; 52 milligrams cholesterol; 202 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 9 grams fat; 111 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 17 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Mix the flours together in a bowl. In a glass measure, mix the milk and vanilla.
- Step 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 ¾ full.
- Step 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.
Private Notes
Comments
Could you please use weight measurements instead of volumetric in all of your recipes, but especially in baking? It's a far more accurate method and is possibly the reason for the variations mentioned herein.
It is not recommended to substitute self-rising flour for other types of flour since a leavening agent has been added. If you do not have self-rising flour and the recipe calls for it, you can make your own by combining 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt
I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to the good folks at NY Times Cooking. I reference your website often when looking for recipes or dinner ideas. Despite all the negative posts I see attached to your recipes, I think you guys are awesome! Keep up the great work.
Just so you know: The sugar content of the cupcakes alone amounts to 2 tablespoons each. The icing sugar content is 8 tablespoons.
In a video of someone from magnolia bakery making these cupcakes, there were some modifications in the recipe and technique. For the recipe, cake flour is used instead of the AP flour. For the process, they used the two step method, which is where you slowly mix the sugar and flours first, then coat with butter, then you had halved the eggs, then combine the milk, vanilla and the rest of the eggs, and briefly mix that in. Wveryime I’ve used this method, I’ve wnded up with perfectly fluffy cupcakes.
@VJ I'm not getting recipes for free, it is a paid subscription. Are you getting them for free?