Chocolate and Banana Cupcakes

So I'm going to give you this recipe - because I don't usually alter recipes (I'm not culinarily smart enough to try that), I don't feel eligible to share printed recipes on the blog.  But wouldn't ya know that by eating a banana for lunch, thereby yielding only 3 when the recipe called for 4, I am brought to an altered version of Primrose Bakery's Banana cupake.  And as I mentioned yesterday - the resulting cup of spectacularness was by far my favorite banana cake experience, so I do have to share.  To not share would be a crime.  (They were that good.  In my humble opinion.)

Enjoy!

Banana Cupcakes
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
1t. vanilla
1 3/4 c. plus 2T all purpose flour, sifted
2t. baking powder
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/4c. banana puree baby food
6oz. bittersweet chocolate pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pan with 12 liners. 

Cream sugar and butter until pale.  Add the eggs and vanilla, beating after each addition.  Add the flour and baking powder, then beat again until well combined.  Stir in the bananas, baby food puree, and chocolate pieces.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Bake 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack.  Frost with chocolate buttercream once cupcakes are completely cooled.


Chocolate buttercream frosting
6oz. bittersweet chocolate
1c. unsalted butter at room temperature
1T 2% milk at room temperature
1t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Melt chocolate in microwave until smooth.  In a large bowl, beat butter, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth.  Add melted chocolate.  If it looks too thin when trying to frost, keep beating - the frosting will thicken and improve spreading consistency.

I do wonder if these would be as incredibly moist and tasty with all bananas instead of the puree.  Obviously, four bananas would provide lovely flavor, but my curiosity is piqued over whether the baby food actually provided a degree of moistness - rather like the 'pudding in the mix.'  I guess the only way to find out would be to try the recipe in its original form - four bananas, sans baby food.  I'm on the mindset, however, that once you find something that works, why break it I mean fix it, right?  We shall see. 

In the meantime, next on my list of 'must try' is Primrose Bakery's Lemon cupcakes.  My fingers are itching to bake.  I said I'd take a week off.  I certainly didn't promise anyone.  Maybe I just need to find some new friends to help me eat them.

I'll keep you posted.
:)
kJ