Banana Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream
Mark Boughton Photography / styling: Teresa Blackburn
- Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
- Cupcakes:
- 1 1/4cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4teaspoon salt
- 6tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter,
- -- softened
- 3/4cup granulated sugar
- 2-- eggs
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2cup mashed very ripe bananas
- 1/4cup plain yogurt
- 1/3cup finely chopped pecans
- Maple Buttercream:
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2cup maple syrup
- 2tablespoons whipping cream
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1teaspoon maple extract
- 1/4teaspoon salt
- 3-- to 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- -- Coarse sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- To prepare cupcakes, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter with a mixer until smooth, about 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla and bananas. Stir in half the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula; add yogurt. Mix in remaining dry ingredients, stirring only until batter is smooth. Stir in pecans. Divide evenly among the muffin cups.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until cupcakes are golden brown and spring back when pressed in the center. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
- To make buttercream, combine butter, maple syrup, cream, vanilla and maple flavoring, and salt; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and spreadable (frosting will thicken a bit as it stands).
- Spread buttercream on top of cupcakes. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.
Buttercream recipe by Julie Hession.
Nutritional Info *per serving
- Calories 360
- Fat 13g
- Cholesterol 65mg
- Sodium 180mg
- Carbohydrate 60g
- Fiber 1g
- Protein 3g
