cupcake project | 12: banana cupcake with nutella cream cheese frosting.

If there’s one fruit that’s a constant in my pantry, that would be bananas.

Whenever I go to the market, I always make it a point to grab half a cluster of bananas. I love pairing it with my morning cereal. It’s also a great source of energy, especially if there’s nothing else to munch on.

I have recently gone back to my “cereals-for-breakfast” routine and once again, I have bananas aplenty. If there’s one thing I don’t like about the fruit, that would be that they can easily turn brown. Probably due to too much oxygen? Or something. I really dunno. If that happens, I transfer them to the fridge or freezer and let them sit there for a few days. I love over-ripe bananas for baking.

Today, I had one banana sitting in my chiller waiting to be baked. It just had the right softness and sogginess. What to do with it, though?

Since I was pressed for time, I Google-d “banana cupcakes.” I knoooow, I can’t believe I still don’t have a go-to banana cake recipe. Well, I think I do, I just don’t know where I placed it. I have the best chocolate banana cake recipe, but I wanted to stay away from chocolate today, so, search I did.

I got a few good responses and settled for the one I saw on Food.com since it said “best ever banana cake.” I am a sucker for recipes with that kind of description. LOL.

Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
Slightly Adapted from Food.com 

1-2 large ripe bananas , mashed
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8  teaspoon salt
6 tbsp butter , softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk 

Preheat oven to 275°. 

Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. 

In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside. 

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. 

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla. 

Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. 

Stir in banana mixture. 

Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin and bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

* Recipe recommended to freeze cake for 45 minutes immediately after baking - it makes the cake moist. I didn't do this since I brought them to work after frosting. 

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup nutella
3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted 

In a mixer bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and nutella until smooth. 

Gradually add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. 

Pipe on cooled cupcakes. I scooped the frosting using a 2oz. ice cream scooper and then spread it with a spatula.

Makes 12-14 cupcakes.