Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

If you're not on the Bon Appetit Take 5 email list, add yourself NOW. Every week they send out an e-newsletter which always has 5 great (and timely) tips and recipes. I'll promise you now that Bon Appetit will NEVER lead you wrong on a recipe. (See my blog on my Christmas dinner, made completely from a Bon Appetit menu!)  The other day I came across a recipe for banana cupcakes, and at first I thought, how strange, it should be banana bread. But then I am always wanting to bring in treats for my work buds, so the other Sunday night I made these little gems, and they were AMAZING. (Sorry for the link overload in that paragraph!)

Banana Cupcakes 
(This makes 12, and they'll go super fast, so maybe make a double batch!)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
2 very ripe large bananas, peeled 
1/2 cup sour cream 
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
3/4 cup sugar 
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 
1 large egg 
1 large egg yolk

First, smush the bananas with a fork in a bowl.

Add in the sour cream and vanilla and mix. 

In another bowl, mix the flour, baking power, baking soda and salt. With your mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the egg and egg yolk and mix well. 

(Action shot!)


Now in the recipe it says to mix in the banana mixture and the flour mixture alternately in three mix-ins each. I don't have time for that in my life, so I added all the banana mixture and then added the flour mixture and they turned out totally fine. If you are a real stickler, do it in parts, it's up to you. But don't worry if you don't, they'll still taste good!

Next, scoop them into cupcake liners. The recipe says use a "generous" 1/4 cup, but I (of course!) use my trusty ice cream scooper. Twice I've made these (I made them for Easter this weekend too) and both times I've had a little extra batter after scooping 12 cupcakes. So, I greased a ramekin and made a little cake just for me (okay, and for Ryan). But you could probably just make 14 cupcakes instead.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. 

You can definitely eat these without frosting if you want to make them as muffins rather than cupcakes. But if you wanna kick it up a notch -- it's time for the good stuff:


Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (Don't use the freshly ground or all natural kind. This is the time to go for the kind with all the preservatives and such!)
1 stick (1/2  cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperate
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar


Mix the cream cheese, peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Of course, this makes a lot of frosting, so save the extra for next time. :) Frost away, and top with chopped salted peanuts or cashews. 

Dig in or pack a few up to take to YOUR work friends, if you like them enough to share!

(Aren't my friends at .decimal lucky??)