Banana Pudding Cupcakes

by Cindy

We're having a birthday at the office today, and that always gives me a great reason to try out a new recipe.  Kim wanted a fruit flavored cake, so Christy and I talked about what ingredient we wanted to bake with this week.  Bananas it is.  

 

This banana cupcake tastes soft and light, and the banana curd in the middle is the pudding part of the cake.  It's not overwhelmingly sweet and has a very natural banana flavor.  I would have liked more banana curd in the center of the cupcakes, so next time I'll squeeze in a little more.  Kim said she liked the fact that nuts were not added to the cake.  She said that usually with banana flavored recipes there are usually nuts included.  That is so true. Everyone in the office gave this cupcake high marks, and I loved it too. 

If you wanted to make some short cuts, cool whip could be used instead of fresh whipped cream. A cake doctor type recipe with bananas would probably work too.  As I always say, it's always about the icing and in this case the filling too.    

Banana Pudding Cupcakes

1 recipe Banana Cake

1 recipe Fresh Banana Curd

1 recipe Fresh Whipped Cream

Topping: vanilla wafers, fresh banana slices

1.  Prepare Banana Cake as directed.

2.  Insert the end of a wooden spoon or dowel into the center of each cooled cupcake to make a hole.  Fill a zip-top plastic freezer bag with Fresh Banana Curd.  Use scissors or kitchen shears to snip about 1/4 inch from one corner of bag; insert bag into the hole of one cupcake.  Squeeze gently until filling comes to the top of the cupcake.  Repeat with remaining cupcakes.



3.  Frost each cupcake with 2 T Fresh Whipped Cream, using a piping bag and metal tip No. 12 or a zip-top plastic freezer bag with one corner snipped off.  Top each with 1 vanilla wafer and banana slice just before serving.

 

Banana Cake

1 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas

2 t lemon juice

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour

1 1/2 t salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 t vanilla extract

Paper baking cups

Vegetable cooking spray

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine bananas and lemon juice in a small bowl; set aside.



2.  Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

3.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.  Stir in vanilla and reserved banana mixture.



4.  Place paper baking cups in  2 (12 cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.



5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.

Personal note:  It actually made 7 or 8 more cupcakes.  I only needed half of the banana curd so half the recipe.  I needed  more whipped topping.  I had enough for 24 cupcakes but not enough for the extra cupcakes it made.  I would have loved to put more whipped topping on each cake, but I didn't have enough to be very generous.  Make whipped topping using at least 2 cups of whipping cream.  I also added a little more powdered sugar to the whipping cream.   

Fresh Banana Curd

4 large ripe bananas

4 T butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 T fresh lemon juice

4 large eggs

1.  Mash bananas in a large bowl with a fork until creamy.



2.  Combine mashed banana and remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and coats a spoon.  (Do not boil.)  Cool completely.



Note:  Store any leftover curd in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Fresh Whipped Cream

makes 3 cups

1 1/2 cups whipping cream, chilled

2 t vanilla extract

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1.  Beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Add vanilla and sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form.



2.  Store in refrigerator until ready to use.



recipe from

Simply Sweet

Best Cupcakes Ever!