Banana-Chocolate Cupcakes With Maple Frosting
Why I Love This Recipe
Banana-Chocolate Cupcakes with Maple Frosting
This cupcake was inspired by a breakfast of banana-chocolate pancakes I had at Toasties in Pacific Grove, California. The pancakes had a buttery crisp edge with rich pockets of chocolate throughout the creamy banana flavors. I resolved to make them at my home kitchen as soon as I had the time. Well, weeks passed. I was in Austin, my old home, for a wedding this past weekend, and I was visiting with my friend Amelia, who mentioned she had these very ripe bananas for baking what she called, "epic banana bread." After a couple hours, we were sitting around, talking about cupcakes and our dream of opening a bakery, and we stumbled onto turning the pancakes from Toasties into a cupcake (with the addition of maple syrup, of course). Sorry banana bread, you'll have to wait.
These cupcakes were outstanding. The moist banana cupcakes had the consistency of a more fluffy banana bread with the same bold chocolate pockets spaced throughout. We cut some cream cheese into our maple frosting for some tang. The result: a fluffy, flavorful (rich, sweet, and sharp) creation that all of our friends and family raved about. Enjoy!
Ingredients You'll Need
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. mashed bananas
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Chocolate chips (to your liking)
Directions
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Add egg, mixing until just combined.
Mix in bananas and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients in three additions, beating until just combined.
Stir in chocolate chips. (We used somewhere between 1/3c. to 2/3 c.)
Using a portion scoop, fill each mold in a baking-cup lined muffin tin.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tops are a golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.
Assembly: Pipe frosting over the top of the cooled cupcakes in a swirl patter, or whatever pattern you fancy.
Garnish the cupcake with a banana-chip. Chocolate chips or hard maple candies would also work well
