Banana Cupcakes

This past week I was asked on two separate occasions by two different people what recipes I have that include banana. While most people use up their overly ripe bananas by making bread or muffins, neither of those baked goods are in my go-to wheelhouse so I instead wanted to come up with a few ways to turn banana into the spotlight of dessert. Therefore – the theme of this week is: BANANA BONANZA!

Kicking off the week, I though I’d start off with Banana Cupcakes, because who doesn’t love cupcakes?! This recipe makes one of the most lightweight cupcakes I’ve ever made which goes perfectly with the soft banana flavor that comes with each bite. My personal favorite way to eat banana is with peanut butter (which shouldn’t be shocking if you’ve been reading my posts for some time now), so I decided to top these fluffy cakes with a peanut butter frosting (recipe not included, store-bought works great!)

If you’re a fan of b-a-n-a-n-a-s (*channels Gwen Stefani*), stick around this week for other easy to make banana based desserts. If you give any of them a try I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment on the blog or head over to  The Weekend Baker Blog Facebook page to drop me a note.

Happy baking!

Ingredients

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• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• ¼ c. sour cream
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large extra ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

Instructions

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• Preheat oven to 350° F
• Prepare a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together, set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
• Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix well.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl well between each addition.
• Next, incorporate the dry ingredients and the mashed bananas, alternating between each until fully mixed.
• Use an ice cream scoop (about ¼ c.) to fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full.
• Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
• Cool completely before frosting.