From Martha Stewart Baking Handbook
Ingredients
Cupcakes
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups cocoa powder
2 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ tsps. baking soda
1 ¼ tsps. baking powder
1 ¼ tsps. salt
2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large YOLK
1 ¼ cups milk
½ cup plus 2 tbsps. vegetable oil
1 ¼ tsps. vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups warm water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line your muffin pans with paper liners or spray your cake pans with cooking spray.
Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and yolk, milk, oil, vanilla and water, and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined (about 3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (about 2/3 full) or cake pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a knife/toothpick inserted in the middle, comes out clean, about 25 minutes. (Bake a cake in 2 round pans for 45 minutes). Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.
Magnolia’s Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 – 6 cups confectioners’ sugar (I use 6 cups)
2 – 3 T milk (I use evaporated or room temperature milk and usually 3 T)
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
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, about 3-5 minutes. 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.
