Banana Split Cupcakes

So I came home from college a few weekends ago and decided to make cupcakes! I didn't know which flavor to make so I had my boyfriend search Annie's Eats. He found these amazing Banana Split cupcakes! These are the most time consuming cupcakes I've made yet... but still definitely worth it! Everyone who had them absolutely LOVED them.

The cake is made with real bananas. The center filling is made with real strawberries and crushed pineapple. Topping it all off is a whipped cream frosting, chocolate ganache, sprinkles and a cherry! YUMM! I adapted the recipe slightly to perfect it. Enjoy and happy baking!

Yield: about 38 cupcakes (odd, I know)

Cupcakes

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2½ cups sugar

6 eggs

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk

1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana (I blended it in a food processor)

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and add in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Mix in 1 the mashed banana until well combined.  With the mixer on low speed alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing only until just incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling

½ lb. strawberries, hulled and diced small (I also blended these in a food processor)

1 to 1½ tbsp. confectioners' sugar

8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained

To make the strawberry filling, combine the strawberries and confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl.  Toss well and add pineapple.  Allow the mix to sit for 20-30 minutes.  

To fill the cupcakes, cut a small cone out of the center of each cupcake with a paring knife or small biscuit cutter.  (The excess cake can be discarded.)  Add a teaspoon or two of the filling to the center of each cupcake.  Top with a teaspoon or two of the crushed pineapple, filling to the top of the cupcake.

Frosting

2 cups heavy cream, chilled

½ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

To make the frosting, add the heavy cream to the chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until thoroughly combined and stiff peaks form.  Be careful not to over-beat!  Blend in the vanilla extract.

Add the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip.  Pipe a swirl of the whipped cream onto each filled cupcake, covering the filling.  Transfer the filled and frosted cupcakes to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Ganache

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Bring the cream to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Remove from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate; let stand 1-2 minutes.  Whisk together until a thick, smooth ganache forms.  Blend in the corn syrup.  Let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes so the ganache is not hot.  

Garnish

Multi-colored sprinkles

Maraschino cherries

To finish the cupcakes, pour a spoonful of the ganache over the whipped cream topping of each cupcake.  Garnish with sprinkles and maraschino cherries before the glaze sets.  Chill the assembled cupcakes until ready to serve.

Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes

For St. Patty's day this year, I decided to bake cupcakes with an Irish theme! These were a huge hit at the party I went to and were devoured before the night was over. These are time consuming, but worth it. Gathering the plethora of ingredients is half the fun!

 

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon hot water
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup sour cream 

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and hot water and whisk until smooth.  In another medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to blend.

Combine the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and the butter is completely melted.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-low speed until the mixture is cool, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture until smooth.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Let cool in the pan about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Bailey’s ganache filling

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used dark Ghirardelli) 

2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream (I used Bailey's Irish cream with a hint of caramel -- delicious!)

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.  Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds).  Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped.  (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.)  Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this).  Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes. I used leftover ganache to drizzle over the cupcakes, giving them some flair! The ganache leaves a beautiful deep chocolate center in the middle.

Bailey’s buttercream frosting

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6-8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream (hint of caramel substituted here as well)

Green food coloring (if desired)

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth.  Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading.  Add green food coloring as desired and frost cupcakes!

Maple Syrup Cupcakes

Doesn't my background look delicious?! These were some of the first unique cupcakes I made. The recipe originally included placing a Lindt Lindor Chocolate in the center of the cupcakes, but honestly I think the cupcakes would have been better without the chocolate. The recipe below omits the chocolate as well.

I was in the mood for a unique cupcake and stumbled upon Wookiee Cookies and found an amazing maple syrup cupcake recipe. I was interested and decided I'd give them a go! These would be an ideal breakfast cupcake... because they reminded me of pancakes! They were extremely rich and served best warmed up a little... or warmed up so much that the frosting melts all over the cake -- your choice (I prefer the latter)! 

Maple Syrup Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup buttermilk

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light.
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract.
5. Stir in buttermilk and maple syrup.
6. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, stirring only until batter is just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
7. Divide evenly into prepared muffin tin. Recipe makes 12 cupcakes.
8. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Place cupcakes on a wire rack to cool before frosting.

Maple Buttercream

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 2 tbsp maple syrup, room temperature

• 2-3 tbsp milk, room temperature (I substitute regular milk for soy)

• 2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. Combine butter, maple syrup, milk and 2 cups confectioners sugar in a large bowl and beat at medium-high speed until smooth.
2. Add remaining sugar in gradually until frosting is thick enough to spread easily. You may not use all the sugar. If icing is too dry, add additional milk until desired consistency is reached.

Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.