Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

I haven’t felt as inspired in the kitchen lately. I could blame it on many different factors.... going out of town... lack of energy while still recovering from sickness... starting an exciting new adventure...  the busy-ness of life in general... My poor camera hadn’t been touched in a couple weeks, nor have I been keeping up with my writing (or, for that matter, the dishes that continually pile up in the kitchen)....

But, I did make a particularly fabulous batch of banana cupcakes last weekend that were too good not to share! They were for the birthday party of a friend who loves banana bread, so the leap to banana cupcakes seemed like a no-brainer.

The cupcakes were topped with cream cheese icing & garnished with a banana chip.  Funny story with the banana chip garnish idea.... I made the cupcakes & frosting sort of last minute, and in my haste to get them wrapped to take to the birthday party, plastic wrap fell into the soft icing tops of a couple cupcakes :( But then I remembered a stash of Trader Joe’s banana chips in my pantry.  I brought those along to the party & added them as garnish on the top.  Suddenly, no one was noticing the slightly marred icing :)

But let’s be honest, most people at the birthday party were more interested in tasting the cupcakes than looking at them. The flavor was spectacular! Cream cheese and banana are a perfect pairing. A couple people even said it was perhaps their favorite cupcake ever--those words do tend to make a pastry person feel pretty good :)

 Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to replenish my now depleted supply of frozen ripe bananas.

Banana Cupcakes
adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

115g (1/2 c or 1 c) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
100 g (1/2 c) Brown Sugar
150 g (3/4 c) Granulated Sugar
3 large Eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 c mashed very ripe bananas (for me, that was 5 medium bananas, or just shy of 400 g)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
250 g (2 c) AP Flour (or substitute Jeanne’s GF AP mix, if wanting to make them GF)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1/2 c Buttermilk (or 1/2 c milk mixed with 1/2 Tbl lemon juice)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two cupcake pans with 18 liners & set aside. (see note below) 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  
3. Mash the banana in a small bowl (I use my fingers, or a fork). Add the bananas to the mixing bowl, along with the vanilla extract, and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  
4. In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl & mix on low speed until just barely combined. Add the milk and mix again on low speed until just barely combined--it’s ok if the batter is lumpy.  
5. Portion the cupcakes into the prepared liners. 
6. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into one of the middle cupcakes comes out clean. The second pan may take a few extra minutes (mine took about 22). 
7. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before icing.

Notes: 

• While the original recipe yields 18 cupcakes, I found mine to be a little shorter than  I would have liked. Next time, I will plan to make only 16. 
• It would be super easy to make these cupcakes gluten free, by substituting your favorite cup-for-cup/ounce-for-ounce GF AP flour blend... My go-to blend is Jeanne’s GF AP Flour Mix.  
• I have only tested the recipe by weights, but have included volumetric amounts for those who do not bake by weight. 
• If you don’t have overripe bananas available (I usually keep a stash of bananas in my freezer), use this tip from Thefauxmartha  to roast bananas first. 

Cream Cheese Icing
adapted from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

8 oz (1 c) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
16 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or substitute extract)
24 oz (6 c) Confectioners Sugar, sifted if lumpy

Banana Chips, optional, for decoration

1.  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until well combined & lighter in volume. 
2. Sift the confectioners sugar, if it is lumpy. Once the butter/cream cheese/vanilla mixture is done, add the sugar & mix on low speed until combined. Then, increase the speed to medium and mix for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. 
3. Place the finished icing into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I used an Ateco 808). 
4. Pipe icing onto the top of each cooled cupcake and garnish with a banana chip, stuck into the top of the icing. 
5. Store leftover icing in the refrigerator. Decorated cupcakes may be stored at room temp or in the refrigerator for a couple days, though the banana chips might become soggy.  Allow cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving. 

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Toasted Marshmallow Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

Since I started this blog, over 3 and a half years ago, one of my most popular recipes has been for Chocolate Stout Cake, made with Guinness beer.  I may be a little bit partial, but it has been one of my favorite cake recipes too.

Not too long ago, A friend of ours had a birthday & I was in charge of making some cupcakes for her birthday party celebration.  I love it when friends have birthdays because it gives me an excuse to make cake (or other dessert, if they are not cake people).

I asked her what kind of cake she would most like & immediately she requested cake with Guinness in it.  Excellent choice.

When brainstorming the icing, I thought about several options...  A simple chocolate ganache icing is lovely, as is the rather labor intensive Guinness-flavored buttercream I’ve previously posted about.  But, then I thought of marshmallows....

The peeps I made at Easter & brought to our brunch with friends were extremely popular.  If the peep meringue/marshmallow can be piped into shapes, why couldn’t it be piped onto the top of cupcakes?

As I opened the pantry to get out the sugar for the meringues, I had to move a bottle of Torani Toasted Marshmallow syrup, and a second inspiration hit: toasted marshmallow flavored marshmallows!

Just by adding a couple tablespoons of toasted marshmallow syrup to the meringue while it is whipping, the regular marshmallows flavor is deepened.  Easy peasy. Torching the marshmallow toppers just before service elevates the cupcakes to a higher level. So beautiful & so tasty.

p.s. Today also happens to be the birthday of my youngest sister.  Happy Birthday, sister!  

CHOCOLATE STOUT CAKE
adapted from Epicurious.com
yields 24+ cupcakes
Note: due to the beer in this recipe, it cannot be adapted to be gluten free, unless you’ve found a gluten free stout....  

1 cup (8 fl oz) Stout Beer, such as Guinness
2 sticks (8 oz) Unsalted Butter
3/4 c (60 g) Cocoa Powder, preferably Dutch-process, sifted--I used Green and Blacks Cocoa
2 c (11 oz) AP Flour
2 c (14 oz) Granulated Sugar
1.5 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt

2 large eggs
2/3 c (159 g) Sour Cream

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line cupcakes pan with 24 papers.  
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the beer & unsalted butter.  Microwave until the butter is melted.  Whisk to combine the two.  Add the cocoa powder & whisk until smooth & there are not any lumps.  Set aside to cool slightly. 
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, soda & salt until the ingredients are well blended. 
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sour cream and eggs.  Add the slightly cooled cocoa/stout/butter mixture.  Mix on low speed just to combine. Scrape down the sides. 
5. Add the dry ingredients in several additions & beat on low speed until just combined.  Finish by removing the bowl from the mixer, scraping down the sides & stirring with spatula to ensure all the flour is combined.  
6. Portion the batter into the muffin pans, filling the cups approximately 3/4 of the way.  I like to use a portion scoop.  (There may be leftover batter & I usually portion it into a large ramekin & bake an “extra” cake). 
7. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pans half-way through the process, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the center cupcakes comes out clean.  
8. Transfer to a rack to cool, removing the cupcakes from the pan as soon as they are cool enough to handle.  Allow to cool completely. 

TOASTED MARSHMALLOW TOPPING
Note: this recipe MUST be made in a 6 qt mixer.  If yours is smaller, divide it into two batches.  And make sure that you use the splash guard.... You really, really do not want to be burned by super hot sugar.... 

2/3 c Cold Water
2 packets gelatin
14 oz (2 cups) Sugar
1/2 c Water
2 Tbl Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1.  Bloom gelatin in cold water in bowl of mixer  
2.  stir together sugar & water & heat to softballs stage
3.  With mixer running on low, pour syrup over gelatin.  Increase speed to medium for 3 minutes. Put on the splash guard.  Increase speed to high & beat for 3 additional minutes.
4. Add the toasted marshmallow syrup & vanilla extract. Beat on high for an additional 7 minutes (splash guard is not necessary) 
5. While the marshmallow is whipping, prepare a large piping bag by fitting it with a large star tip (I used an Ateco 828).  
6. Once the marshmallow is very thick & holds its shape/a stiff peak, use a portion scoop to scoop it into the prepared piping bag.  
7. Pipe rosettes onto the top of each cupcake, starting from the outside and ending in the center with a slight peak. Work quickly so that the marshmallow does not set up in the mixing bowl or in the piping bag.  
8. Pipe any remaining marshmallow into star shapes on a sprayed, parchment-lined pan. 
9. Allow the marshmallow-topped cupcakes to set at room temperature for an hour, then transfer to an airtight container. 
10. Just before serving, torch each cupcake to caramelize the marshmallow & burn it slightly. 

Key Lime & Coconut Cake: Practice Makes Perfect.... sort of....

I am nearly through with my finals!  Hurray!  Last Monday, as previously written, was my practical final in Intro to Cakes.  Earlier in the semester, we had to submit a cake, filling, and icing recipe with the intentions to make it for our practical.

I've been practicing and practicing and tweaking and tweaking my Key Lime and Coconut cake..... in all, I've tested the filling 4 times, the cake 3 times, and the whole assembly twice.....  {and I am so sick of key lime right about now!!}

For our exam, we had to make one 10" cake, but I've only got two 8" pans at home..... so my practice cakes were always smaller (but taller) and then included some cupcakes with the leftover batter. I left the cupcakes in the community area of my apartment complex, so I hope they were well enjoyed!

Despite all my practicing, I'm not going to lie, I was still pretty nervous for the actual exam!  So many people all doing projects at the same time.... Baking with different equipment than usual..... The worry that something catastrophic would happen!  Murphys Law does like to follow me!  So, I decided to try to cheat murphy by bringing some of my own equipment to class (my beloved Kitchen Aid mixer, my scale, my turntable) and some extra ingredients (just in case!)  I camped out, with my plethora of stuff and bundle of nerves, in a corner of the classroom and went to work!

Chef talking about some of the finished cakes. 

And, amazingly everything went well!  The coconut cake baked as usual.  The curd was a little less firm than usual, but not terribly. The Chantilly cream wasn't over worked (as it was a tish in my last practice version).  I didn't make a mess of my Toasted Coconut Garnish.  Best of all, Chef had good things to say about it.  Honestly, I believe it's the best work I've done all semester!  I guess practicing does pay off.

 Chef had to cut into everyone's cake to taste them and so the cakes couldn't be sold, as our cakes usually are.  So we were allowed to take them home.  I certainly didn't want any coming home with me because I still had the whole practice cake in my fridge.  I offered to give my classmates slices to take home because I also didn't want to just throw away my beautiful creation.

Then, disaster struck.....  It was one of those slow motion moments, as I was cutting pieces, I watched my cake slide off the turn table and land *SPLAT* on the floor.  Guess my cake had decided to become a Key Lime & Coconut UPSIDE DOWN cake instead.

Honestly, all I could do was laugh!  I've been afraid of dropping a cake all semester!  And here it was the final, right after grading, and my fear happened.  All I could do was laugh!  Honestly, I really did not care at all. Had it happened before grading, I'd have gotten a zero on the final and my emotions would have been much different.  I was just thankful.

Recipes:

COCONUT CAKE
makes 1 ten-inch cake (cut into 4 layers) or 2 eight-inch cakes (assembled into 4 layers) plus 9 or so cupcakes

227 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
460 g cake flour, sifted, plus more for the pans
14 g baking powder
2 g salt
238 g canned unsweetened coconut milk
48 g milk
386 g granulated sugar (divided into 374 g & 12 g)
6 g pure vanilla extract
12 g coconut extract
267 g egg whites at room temperature (approximately 8 large)

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Prepare cake ring and place on parchment lined sheet pan

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and set aside. Stir the milks together and set aside. Put the butter and 374 g of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment;  cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, abut 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and coconut extracts.

3.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 4 batches, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. set aside.

4.  Switch to a whisk attachment; beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. With the mixer on medium high speed, gradually add the remaining 12 g of sugar. Beat on high speed until the peaks are stiff and glossy, about 30 seconds.

5.  Gently fold the egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula. Scale into prepared cake ring, or cake pans lined with parchment. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Tap the pan on a work surface to release any air bubbles.

6.  Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cakes are golden and firm to the touch (some where around 40 minutes). Let cool before unmolding.

COCONUT SIMPLE SYRUP
200 g granulated sugar
200 g water
50 g shredded sweetened coconut (angel flake variety)
coconut extract to taste, if desired

1. Combine sugar, water and coconut in a sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil
3. Cool over an ice bath and strain out coconut pieces, if desired.

KEY LIME CURD
158 g egg yolks
253 g granulated sugar
153 g key lime juice (such as Nellie & Joe’s brand)
50 g lime juice
52 g heavy cream
131 g unsalted butter, chilled & cut into small pieces

1. In a heavy saucepan whisk together yolks, sugar, lime juice, cream, and butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture just reaches a boil (do not let boil).
2.  Strain curd through a fine sieve into a bowl.
3.  Cool curd its surface covered with plastic wrap, and chill at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

COCONUT CHANTILLY CREAM
906 g heavy cream
85 g confectioner’s sugar
Coconut extract to taste.

1.Whip heavy cream with sugar to a medium peak.
2. Add coconut extract.
3.  Continue whipping to a most stiff consistency (may do final whipping by hand)

TOASTED COCONUT GARNISH
90 g Let’s Do®...Organic®  Unsweetened Organic Coconut Flakes
100 g shredded sweetened coconut (angel flake variety)

1. Preheat oven to 300° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil
2. Toss coconut varieties on sheet pan
3. Toast approximately 18 minutes, stirring often
4. Cool

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