I think fall has to be my favorite season. Not only can we start wearing cozy sweaters and soft leather boots, but fall food is basically comprised of “comfort” food: donuts, apple cider, hot soup, cheesy pasta… God, I can feel my saddle bags growing by the minute! Blissful.
Anyways, you ever go to the store and buy a bunch of bananas… Make it home. Have a banana here and there. By the end of the week, you still have half a bunch of bananas that are starting to get a little past their prime? Well happens all the time to me. So went about and tried to figure out what to do with them one time when I had a particularly busy week and like 7 bananas starting to get past their prime.
Tried a few different things, but nothing gets people excited than cupcakes. I mean, who doesn’t love cupcakes?
These cupcakes are truly delicious with this frosting but if you wanted to leave the frosting off you could easily make them into muffins and have them for breakfast. But let’s stick with cupcakes, but I do love me some good cupcakes.
What we’re cooking!
Banana Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 16 cupcakes
3 large very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp buttermilk*
- In a large bowl, blend bananas and sugar with an electric mixer.
- Add in eggs one at a time and blend until completely combined.
- Add vegetable oil and blend until the mixture is completely blended, about 2 – 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour with the baking soda.
- Add to wet mixture and stir with a spoon to combine.
- Add buttermilk and stir to combine.
- Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Fill each cup about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 25 – 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
16 pecan halves
In a small bowl, beat butter with electric mixer. Add cream cheese and blend to combine. Add brown sugar and vanilla and blend to combine. Frost cupcakes and top with a single pecan if desired.
*If you don’t have buttermilk, combine 2 1/2 Tbsp of regular milk with 1 tsp lemon juice and stir to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes and then use as directed.
