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We buy bunches of bananas every week. I prefer them very ripe. My husband likes them green.
Is anyone else a green-banana eater? It’s odd to me — green bananas only stay that way for a short time, which leaves us with too many ripe bananas.
That inevitably means I end up making banana treats.
And then I end up eating those treats. They sit on the counter and tempt me.
A few months ago, for my parents’ anniversary, I made a banana cake with cream cheese icing. My dad and brother joked it was so sweet it hurt their teeth. To me, that was a compliment — nothing is too sweet for my butter-loving taste buds.
The cake was made before I started blogging, so I set out to recreate it from memory. All I could recall was that I used brown sugar, which I told myself was the “healthy” kind because it’s brown. I added a few other ingredients and hoped for the best.
For a long time I relied on box mixes — quick and easy. Later I started baking from scratch using recipes I trusted. Now I enjoy experimenting and attempting to create my own recipes. It’s tricky and I’ve had many mess-ups, but it’s worth the effort.
These banana cupcakes turned out even better than I expected. I kept the cinnamon light so the banana flavor could shine.
I enjoy bananas in morning shakes and with peanut butter for a cozy snack. Dipping them in chocolate syrup is another decadent option.
When it came to frosting, plain cream cheese frosting felt too ordinary. I wanted something more interesting — a combination of frostings that would be exciting without overpowering the banana cake.
I made peanut butter and chocolate cream cheese frostings — both delicious. The chocolate version tastes almost like chocolate mousse, and the peanut butter one is rich and comforting.
Plain peanut butter cream cheese frosting.
Banana Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, mixing until combined, then stir in the mashed bananas. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, stir in the buttermilk, then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Spoon batter into a mini cupcake pan and bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. This yields approximately 24 mini cupcakes.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 oz) block softened cream cheese
1 cup softened butter
1 pound powdered sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat all ingredients together until smooth and fully combined. If the frosting is too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Frost cupcakes or a cake as desired.
For a peanut butter cream cheese frosting, use your preferred peanut butter frosting recipe and combine it with cream cheese for a richer spread.
And remember: cupcakes are best enjoyed right after you make them. Sharing is optional.