Banana cupcakes

I’d been hoarding mashed up rotten bananas in my freezer for weeks. When the bananas in the fruit bowl start to get all spotty and soft, I let them sit for a little while longer until they’re a mushy goo, transfer them to an airtight container, mash quickly with a fork, and freeze until required.

With a stock of banana mash on hand, and an upcoming picnic with friends, there was no thought but banana cake when deciding what to bake for dessert.

I adapted a few banana cake recipes and converted them into cupcakes – individual portions are always easier at picnics and the mini decorated servings are always a crowd pleaser.

This is a super moist cake that is heady with the flavour and aroma of banana. It can be baked as a loaf if preferred. You could also add a handful of walnuts to the batter for extra crunch. The frosting isn’t necessary for this moist cake but it does make your cupcake look prettier (and provide a glue for your garnish – banana lollies or perhaps some banana chips). I had extra batter which I baked as a mini loaf. It's sensational as a midnight snack, eaten cold straight from the fridge.


Banana cupcakes

125g butter softened
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana
150g sour cream (or roughly 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)
30ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) milk
1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180C (170C for fan-forced).

Cream butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Add mashed banana, sour cream and milk and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated.

Add sifted flour, bicarb, mixed spice and cinnamon and fold thorough quickly and lightly until all the flour has been mixed through.

Place a generous tablespoon of batter into muffin trays lined with patty pans. This is a super-moist cake that will not hold a peak, so take care not to overfill or the cake will simply overflow the edges.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once cool, slather generously with cream cheese icing and garnish with a banana lolly or a few banana chips.

Store banana cake or cupcakes in a tightly covered container in the fridge.

Makes about 12-16 cupcakes.


Cream cheese frosting

30g butter, softened
80g cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar mixture

Beat butter, cream cheese and lemon juice together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Slowly add icing sugar, beating well between each addition.


Related GrabYourFork posts:
Banana bread
Banana sour cream cake
Cupcakes--chocolate
Cupcakes--mini
Cupcakes--vanilla by Nigella