I felt like baking and jam… and trying out the much famed vanilla vanilla magnolia cupcake recipe. Of course you could use whatever jam you have on hand. I desperately wanted a cream cheese frosting but darn it there was none in the fridge (surprise surprise this stuff doesn’t last long around here), and for reasons I will not mention but are painfully related to cycling to and from work I did not feel like walking to the supermarket!! OW.

Recipe, pics after the jump.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Jam filling
adapted from Vanilla Vanilla cupcakes from [ More From Magnolia ]

Makes about 12 cupcakes

1.5cups flour
1 cup sugar
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
.25 teaspoon salt
1 stick (113g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large eggs
.5 cup milk (I actually used rice milk but whole dairy milk is best)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Few drops of almond extract
A half jar of jam flavor of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and essences/extracts. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat.

3. Fill liners 1/3 full then top with a teaspoon of jam. Fill until 2/3 fill with remaining batter. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

To make frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
4 tblsp milk (once again I used rice milk but normal is better)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp raspberry essence

Beat butter and icing sugar together until mixed. Add other ingredients and if necessary more icing sugar to bring it to a pipeable consistency. Pipe onto cupcakes. Enjoy!