Ugh....challenge, smallenge. I was nervous. My big concern: It would come out as a muffin. Needless to say, when going into this, the ever popular debate came up. What is the difference between a muffin and a cupcake? Normally people say "Muffins don't have frosting." Well, I disagree. I've seen frosted muffins before, as well as glazed ones. I think it has to do with the consistency, which goes along with what Google told us, which is that the mixing method is different. That, and you can prepare a recipe intended for a cake and get a successful cupcake out of it, and vice versa. On the contrary, if you take a muffin recipe and try to make a cake out of it, well, you won't be pleasantly surprised.
Well, I searched the internet and found many potential recipes, but they all illustrated a very muffin-like image of a cupcake. That is what I didn't want. Finally I found myself on Wilton's website and found something that I suspected would work. It produced a very dense cake, but I think that it is definitely still a cupcake (yay!) Once the cupcake was cooling on the rack I stared at them wondering what the heck I was going to top them with. Being as dense as they were, a whipped topping was not an option. I considered a cream-cheese based frosting, but frankly, I don't love cream cheese. Yes, I have made some frostings with it, but generally, if I can buttercream it, I do. In this case, I did. After calling my husband, freaking out about what to top it with, he suggested the recipe that you'll see below. I think it worked. The combination was dense, banana-y, and delicious. This could be a breakfast cupcake, no doubt. Paired with a cup of coffee, you'd greet the morning with a smile.
Banana-nut cupcake with Cocoa Frosting
Inspired by Wilton
For the cupcake:
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3//4 c unsalted butter
1 1/2 c granulated sugar, room temperature
3/4 c banana, pureed (about 2 medium bananas)
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp black walnut extract
3/4 c sour cream
1/4 c walnuts, chopped into tiny pieces
For the frosting:
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
2-3 Tbsp water
3 c confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp cocoa (I used E. Guittard, purchased at Sur La Table)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prep your cupcake pans. Combine flour, soda, and salt in a medium bowl, then set aside. In your mixer bowl, cream sugar and butter together, meanwhile, puree your banana into a liquid state, using a food processor or a blender. Add your eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, then add extracts. Scrape down your bowl, then beat banana into mixture, until well incorporated. Alternate adding flour and sour cream into banana mixture, starting and finishing with flour. Mix until just incorporated, and turn off mixer. Do not over mix. Remove bowl from stand, then stir in your chopped walnuts. I chopped mine really small because I don't love nuts, nor did I want to take away from the moistness of the cupcake by making it crunchy.
Once walnuts are mixed in, scoop batter into prepared pan, filling about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 17 minutes, until tops spring back when touched. Cool them in the pan for about 10 minutes, then removed them to cooling rack to finish.
While these guys cool, prep your frosting. In a mixer bowl, mix butter, shortening, and 2 Tbsp water, until smooth. Mix in cocoa, then add confectioners' sugar, about 1/4 c at a time. Add more water, until desired consistency is reached.
Spread or pipe frosting onto cupcakes. To garnish, I put a handful of walnuts into my mini-prep and chopped them into big crumbs. I sprinkled about a pinch of them over frosting, then stuck a banana slice in the frosting. If you are going to use a banana slice as garnish, make sure that you add it RIGHT BEFORE serving, otherwise, the banana will get all brown and icky.
As previously mentioned, paired with a cup of coffee, this would create a delicious breakfast or snack any day!
Enjoy!!
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