My Blogday & Vanilla Thyme Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Today Vanilla Garlic turns 2. Which is odd, I mean looking at a calendar it all makes sense. 731 days (one extra for the leap year) have come and gone. Yet, it feels like much, much longer than that. A lot has happened in the course of two years. More than I would have expected, and things were never expected seem to constantly occur.

It's astonishing really.

But no big celebration this year. I'm playing it low key. No need to upset the blog, it's in it's Terrible 2's. Anything can happen this next go-around.

Still, we can't have a birthday without a cake. With finals finishing, my brain is too tired for anything groundbreaking. Simple and tasty will do, which is where we find this cupcake.

It's based off of one from Cheryl, her 3 Vanilla cupcake. I've just gone and added some fresh thyme to it. Fine crumb and simple flavors that, when combined, become complex and soothing. If this blog wasn't called Vanilla Garlic it would be Vanilla Thyme, but that's a bit to punny for me.

Happy Blogday to me.Vanilla-Thyme Cupcakes
Makes 20 cupcakes / 350F oven

3/4 cup (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-2/3 cups vanilla sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2-2/3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
2 teaspoons of loosely packed, fresh thyme

1) Beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

2) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in each for 30 seconds.

3) Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and thyme into one bowl.

4) Measure the milk, vanilla bean scrapings, and vanilla into another bowl.

5) Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.

6) Scoop into cupcake papers about 2/3 full. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on wire racks. When completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
For the frosting, I used my basic recipe, and added the scrapings from 1/2 of a vanilla bean.