We were expecting around 20 folks, so decided we would need at least 50 cupcakes. After all, everyone would eat at least two, right? Furthermore, my wife, Julia, decided to make all of the cupcakes herself. From scratch. Including the icing.

Our (particularly wonderful) friend Kelly had given us the cupcake recipe used by the Magnolia Bakery in New York City—the gold standard of cupcake boutiques—and this was the perfect opportunity to try it out. Kelly described these cupcakes as being more or less the food of the gods. Would these cupcakes live up to their reputation?

Julia did all the work, while I did the lion’s share of the “taste-testing.” They were dangerously good. Rich and melt-in-your-mouth buttery, but so light that I ate at least four before I knew what I was doing.

What’s more, they were easy to make. Why use boxed cake mix? It takes more time to make them from scratch, but not that much more.

Needless to say, the cupcakes were a hit at the party. What we didn’t count on was the decorum of our guests. Their restraint was flabbergasting. Almost none of the adults had more than one. When the last of our guests had left, I tried very hard to hide my excitement —we had a LOT of leftovers. That’s how I ended up having two cupcakes with my coffee this morning. And they were awesome.

Recipe for Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Cupcakes (recipe from RecipeLink.com):

NOTE: Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. That includes the eggs, milk and butter. This recipe makes at least 24 cupcakes (it made closer to 30 in our cupcake tins).

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

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter 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. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over-beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.