Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream + Giveaway

Happy Birthday Maple and Thyme:

It's hard to believe it but...Maple and Thyme is officially a year old! To celebrate we have both a recipe, Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and a cookbook giveaway! This cupcake recipe was adapted from the recipe that my mom made using the back of the Hershey's Cocoa container. She made these cupcakes each year on our birthdays for us to bring into school. This recipe makes a classic chocolate cupcake, tender and full of chocolate flavor and is topped with a light and fluffy vanilla buttercream. When I made these cupcakes for the photo shoot, I added candy pumpkins, exactly as my mom used to when I was little. I am so excited to share this recipe as we celebrate our first birthday!

This year has been a wild ride full of new recipes, learning the ins and outs of writing code, building a website, and growing my presence on social media. I've had the opportunity to take magical photography classes, join the supportive online community of Food Blogger Pro and have also purchased my ticket for The Everything Food Conference coming up in Layton, Utah. I've probably gone through at least 30 pounds of butter I've even earned about $25!!!

Thank You:

I could never have turned this dream into reality without the support of my sweet family and friends.

I'd like to start with a special thank you to my favorite art student, Izzy. She might still be young, but the girl is wise beyond her years. When I told her that I had the hope of starting a blog, she told me to "just do it". She truly gave me that extra push that I needed to chase my dream. Thanks for being such an inspiration Izzy!

Britt - thank you for supporting each and every one of my dreams for the past 25 years. Thank you for rewriting code on my website, analyzing my google analytics data, and for just being all around awesome. Thank you Nate and John for sampling all of my creations and giving me honest, uncensored feedback. It's so much fun watching you two grow as young food critics, recipe creators and photographers.

A big thank you to so many of my amazing friends who have tasted multiple batches of lemon chocolate chip muffins - love you Carla, numerous cookie recipes, and to those who have eaten far too much chili...you know who you are. Thanks Jerry for looking at too many pictures of cupcakes, cakes and prop setups. Your super creative suggestions always improve my photography work.

Thank you to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for being my two strongest supporters on Twitter...they both like all of my posts. ? And last but not least, a huge thank you to my mom and sister for always making me feel like everything I do is amazing, even when it's not...and thanks for bringing me food photography props every time I see you.

I can't wait to see what year # 2 sends my way! Lots of love to all of you.

Giveaway!

In celebration of our first birthday, we are giving away a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery & Cafe by Joanne Chang. This cookbook features beloved recipes from Flour Bakery and Cafe which is hands down my favorite spot to grab a sweet treat in Boston. The recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with Magic Frosting rivals the cupcakes that my mom always made for our birthdays growing up. This cookbook is a fantastic blend of sweet and savory recipes that all come out delicious in your home kitchen. Joanne Chang is incredible. Not only does she run eight locations of Flour Bakery and Cafe, but she also supports numerous organizations throughout Boston. Basically when I grow up, I want to be Joanne Chang.

How to Enter:

To enter, simply:

1. Follow @mapleandthymeblog on Instagram
2. Tag up to 3 friends who you like to celebrate your birthday with
3. Tell us your favorite birthday cake or cupcake

Giveaway is open to anyone in the US and Canada. We are giving away one copy of Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery & Cafe. Giveaway ends on November 2, 2018 at midnight EST. The winner will be announced on Instagram on Monday, November 4, 2018. The cookbook winner must email mapleandthyme@gmail.com with a full name and mailing address within 7 days. The cookbook will be shipped within 5 days of receiving the mailing address. Good luck!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Simple Vanilla Buttercream:

And now, on to the recipe... I think you are going to love this easy to make chocolate cupcake recipe. This cupcake is special enough to celebrate anyone  in your family, yet simple enough to pull together for a playdate or bake sale. If you need 24 cupcakes, simply double the recipe. Oh and the vanilla buttercream - it's to die for. Enjoy!

Adapted from Hershey's Collector's Cocoa Cake

Other delicious cake recipes

• Orange Bundtlette Cakes
• Orange Almond Madeleines

📖 Recipe

KITCHEN TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS THAT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

AFFILIATE DISCRETION:

This post contains affiliate links to products that I use for baking and cooking. If you click on these links, and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission. The commission is paid by the retailers, not by you. I only link to products that I use, love, and think you may love as well.