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.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Reese's Layer Cake

I’ve been baking a lot of layer cakes lately, because in a few weeks I have the exciting job of baking my Grandma’s 80^th birthday cake. We are throwing her a surprise party and 40+ people are expected to come. 40. FOURTY. The nerves have already set in. I know that’s not really a whole lot of people, but I’m the type of person where three is a crowd. Doing things in front of large groups is not my forte. It gets ugly, we’re talking palms so sweaty they could solve all of the world’s drought problems, and even save a few thirsty children. At one of my piano recitals, I got maybe three measures into my piece before completely blanking. I literally had the music right in front of me, but at that point all of the little notes looked like Spanish (which I almost failed by the way). So, I just got up and walked back to my seat, leaving the piano keys drenched in my hand sweat for the next poor victim to slip up on. Luckily the actual baking of the cake will be taking place in my safe secluded kitchen and not in front of an audience.  But disaster is known to strike when it comes to me and layer cakes. I’ve had so many cakes fall apart on me I lost count, and others that I managed to keep together just looked like a 3 year old was given a box of cake mix and a whisk and told to “go for it!” Don’t even get me started on my Aunt’s birthday cake, a.k.a. The Leaning Tower of Pisa. But with much trial and error, I have come a long way. I now have a few successful layer cakes under my belt and have discovered how to keep my patience while putting them together. I am still trying to get a grip on a few frosting techniques, but with more practice I’m hoping I will get that part down too. So STAY TUNED because in a few weeks I’m hoping to display a cake that is as adorable and charming as my lovely 80 year old grandma :).

Alright on to this layer cake. I mentioned in my last post that I have really strong feelings for peanut butter. I crave it All. The. Time. I even have one of those paint-can-sized jars that Jif sells (which is a tad embarrassing). Every once in a while I get very STRONG cravings for the stuff which inevitably happened today. So yeah, this cake is jacked up on peanut butter. And it could quite possibly be the best thing that has ever happened to me. This masterpiece consists of chocolate cake, filled with both a dark chocolate spread and peanut butter frosting. Sprinkled in between each layer are chopped up Nutrageous Reese’s Bars which gives the cake the perfect bit of crunchy texture. The whole thing is frosted with peanut butter frosting and topped off with miniature Reese’s - definitely not a cake for the faint of heart. 
Cut a slice, pop it in the microwave, throw some ice cream on top and ohmygoodness I am melting.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Reese’s Layer Cake

Chocolate Cake Recipe

·         3 cups all-purpose flour

·         2 cup granulated sugar

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

·         4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

·         2 cups hot black coffee

·         1 1/4 cup mayonnaise

·         2 large eggs

·         4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

·         Dark Chocolate Spread (I used Zoet)

·         3 nutrageous Reese’s candy bars, chopped

·         10 miniature Reese’s cups

Instructions 
       

1.       Grease and line 3 8-inch round pans and line with parchment paper.
2.    In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

3.       In another bowl add the cocoa and chocolate.

4.       Pour the hot coffee over the cocoa mixture, whisking until smooth.

5.       Whisk in mayonnaise, egg, and vanilla.

6.       Stir mayonnaise mixture into flour mixture until combined.

7.       Evenly pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.

8.       Place all three cakes into the oven and bake until a tooth pick comes out with only a few moist crumbs, about 25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Frosting Recipe

·         1 cup creamy peanut butter

·         1 cup dark chocolate spread

·         2 cups confectioners’ sugar

·         10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

·         1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

·         2 cups confectioners’ sugar

·         1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1.       In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat peanut butter, dark chocolate spread, butter, and vanilla until creamy.

2.       On medium-low speed, add in confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time.

3.       Add the heavy cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Assembly

1.       After allowing the cake layers to cool, level the bottom layer and place on a cake stand or plate.

2.       Spread on a thin layer of dark chocolate spread.

3.       On top of this, spread about 1/3 cup of the peanut butter icing.

4.       Sprinkle with one of the chopped nutrageous Reese’s’ bars.

5.       Repeat with the next layer, and top it off with the last layer.

6.       Frost the outside of the cake with the peanut butter frosting.

7.       Microwave about ¼ cup of the dark chocolate spread and pour it over the top of the cake.

8.       Top the cake with miniature Reese’s cups, garnishing the cake however you’d like :)