Monday, June 29, 2015

Caramel Filled Banana Cupcakes




I have this tiny little obsession with bananas. I have at least one every day. In my previous post I mentioned how I will put peanut butter on just about anything (ever tried it on bananas? AH-MAZ-ING) and I am pretty much the same about bananas. Banana pancakes, oh yes. Banana quesadillas - THE BOMB. Add some banana slices to your peanut butter sandwich and then you have a real winner. OMG I just became extremely excited because I remembered a recipe I saw on Pinterest where they made French toast out of slices of banana bread and I am TOTALLY trying that this weekend. And don’t you worry I will post the recipe and let you know how it turns out J. But anyway, we run into a problem with my infatuation with bananas. If you have ever been to Nebraska then you know it is either bitterly cold here or unbelievably humid. We are almost into July so after about 12:00 it gets to that kind of heat where it is so hot you can’t breathe. Humidity + bananas = BLACK BANANAS. Honestly you could sit at the counter and watch my bananas ripen right before your eyes. I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing though because it means I get to try out all different kinds of banana recipes. Cake, muffins, bread, and my latest, cupcakes! These babies are stuffed with caramel and frosted in a yummy whipped butter cream. I loved this homemade caramel recipe because it wasn’t too runny and held up really nicely inside the cupcakes instead of just soaking into the cake. If you have some over ripe bananas I strongly suggest using them to make these super yummy cupcakes!
 
Caramel Filled Banana Cupcakes

Caramel Recipe
·         ¾ cups sugar
·         ¼ cup water
·         2 tbsp. butter
·         ¼ tsp. salt
·         1 cup cream

Instructions
1.       In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir the sugar and water until combined.
2.       Stop stirring and let the mixture bubble for about 8 minutes until it reaches an amber color.
3.       Remove the sauce pan from heat and add in the heavy cream and butter, (careful; it WILL aggressively steam and bubble at you, but don’t worry this is okay)
4.       Clip a candy thermometer onto the saucepan and return the mixture to medium-high heat until it reaches 248 degrees Fahrenheit.
5.       Transfer the caramel to a heat proof bowl and stir in vanilla and salt. As it reaches room temperature the caramel will thicken.

Banana Cupcake Recipe
·         6 tbsp. butter, softened
·         ¼ cup granulated sugar
·         ½ cup brown sugar
·         1 large egg
·         1 egg white
·         1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
·         ¾ tsp. baking soda
·         ¼ tsp. salt
·         ¾ cups buttermilk
·         1 tsp. vanilla
·         ¾ cups mashed bananas, about 3 medium bananas
Instructions
1.       Place cupcake liners in muffin tin and grease. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2.       In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3.       Add the eggs and beat until lightened.
4.       In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5.       In another bowl, mash the bananas and whisk in the milk and vanilla.
6.       Alternatively add the flour mixture and banana mixture to the butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until smooth.
7.       Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, evenly distribute the batter into the cupcake liners.
8.       Bake for about 22-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
9.       Let cool on counter before removing the cupcakes from the pan, then cool completely before filling and frosting.

Caramel Buttercream Recipe
·         ¼ cup unsalted butter
·         ¼ cup caramel sauce
·         ½ tsp. vanilla
·         Pinch of salt
·         ¾ cups powdered sugar
·         1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions
1.       In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter, caramel sauce, vanilla, and salt until smooth and fluffy.
2.       Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
3.       In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
4.       Fold the caramel into the whipped cream and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Assembly
1.       Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a melon baller or knife to cut out the top of the cupcakes.
2.       Fill with about a tbsp. or more of the caramel sauce then place the cupcake top back on top.
3.       Frost with the caramel frosting.

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