Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes

Magnolia Bakery’s vanilla cupcakes recipe is the only one you need. It's their signature recipe and best seller for good reason. The treats have a tender, moist crumb and delicious vanilla flavor. In addition to all-purpose flour, you'll also need self-rising flour for this recipe. It already contains a leavener and salt—saving you from having to measure those out—and makes for a superior texture (more on that below). You’ll also need an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar—a necessary step that aerates the butter and evenly incorporates the sugar. After baking and letting them cool, top the cupcakes with Magnolia’s ultra-creamy vanilla buttercream and, if desired, a shower of dopamine-inducing rainbow sprinkles. Simple yet spectacular, these vanilla cupcakes truly are the best.

What Is Self-Rising Flour—and Why Use It?

A glance at this recipe reveals an ingredient we seldom use: self-rising flour. Unlike other flours, it already contains both a leavener (baking powder) and salt, which is why neither of those are called for in the ingredient list for these cupcakes. Besides its chemical makeup, self-rising flour is also unique in that it is milled from a softer wheat than all-purpose flour, making for lighter, more tender baked goods with less gluten development.

Self-rising flour dates back to the early 19th century, developed as a way for sailors to make bread on board without the need for yeast. These days, it's much less popular than most other flours but is often counted on in the South for extra-tender, fluffy biscuits.

Dos and Don'ts for Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Do use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature ingredients blend much more easily into a batter than cold ones, so be sure to remove the milk and eggs from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you begin mixing. If you're short on time, place eggs—still in their shells—in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes, and microwave milk in 10-second intervals to remove the chill.

Don't rush the batter: For light and tender cupcakes, take your time with the batter. That means creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy—which should take a good 3 minutes—and alternating adding the flour mixture and wet ingredients. These steps aerate the batter, ensure each ingredient is well incorporated, and help to prevent over-mixing (which can create excess gluten, making for a tough cake).

Don't over fill: Fill each liner no more than three-quarters of the way—any more and you'll risk ending up with domed, uneven cupcakes. We like using an ice-cream scoop to portion out the batter, but you can use a large spoon as well.