Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing
From The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: at least 1 hour, up to 2 days in the fridge, up to 1 month well wrapped in the freezer Counter time before slicing : 5 minutes
Bake time: 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven
Cooling time: as long as you can hold out

Makes 30 cookies

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
¾ cup mashed ripe bananas (about 1 ½ medium bananas, mashed with a fork)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp buttermilk
¾ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt

Buttercream
2 large egg whites ( ¼ cup)
¼ cup sugar
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces at room temperature
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp kosher salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil. Whisk in the banana, egg, egg yolk, buttermilk and vanilla.

3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk, mix the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them three-quarters full.

5. Bake, rotating the tin halfway through the, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean (about 20 minutes).

6. Invert the cupcakes onto a wire rack, turn them top side up and let them cool completely before icing them.

Buttercream:
1. Fill a medium saucepan with 2” of water and bring to a simmer.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl on top of the saucepan, and whisking constantly, heat the egg mixture until it is warm to the touch (about 3 minutes).

3. Transfer the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed until the whites become translucent and shiny and form soft peaks (about 5 minutes more).

4. With the machine running, ad the butter, one piece at a time and mix until combined. Increase the speed to medium high and add the peanut butter, vanilla and salt. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, beat until the Buttercream becomes shiny and creamy (about 10 minutes).

Note: The buttercream can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat for a few minutes until smooth.

5. Spread the buttercream over the tops of the cupcakes, swirling decoratively.

The cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I personally love my buttercream icing hard, so my preference is to eat them from the fridge…what about you?