Cupcake Monday - Banana Cupcakes

 

Do you ever buy bananas with the full intention of eating every single one, or at least making your kids eat a couple, then to just let them sit on your counter getting super ripe and becoming a lovely home for some annoying fruit flies?  I do it more than I'd like to admit...  Yet I still buy them every time I go to the store.  

So, when I was ready to evict the fruit flies, I asked on Facebook what everyone would do with 4 ripe bananas and I got LOTS of great ideas!  I was really wanting to make some cupcakes with them, go figure, and The Party Animal suggested a very yummy banana cake.  She raved about it so I was anxious to try it out... and they did NOT disappoint!!!  To add another little twist, I had some leftover coconut cream cheese filling to get rid of, so in it went to the cupcakes!  They were a HUGE hit on our last night of VBS, very rich, very moist, and very YUMMY!

 

Banana Cupcakes

Recipe via The Party Animal with some alterations

Ingredients: 

Cupcakes
3 Medium or 2 Large Bananas (Ripe) --> I used 4 medium ones.
4 large eggs (room temp)
4 Tbsp melted butter
1 Pkg Yellow Cake mix --> I used Pillsbury
1 C milk (room temp)
1 small box of Coconut pudding

Coconut Cream Cheese filling:
(Courtesy Cook Like a Champion)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners.  
Mash up bananas in your stand mixer, add eggs and beat.  Then add butter, yellow cake mix, coconut pudding, and milk and beat until just combined.  Do not over mix!  Fill cupcake liners 2/3rds full.
Bake for 15-17 minutes until centers spring back when touched or a toothpick comes out clean.
Then I stick mine immediately in the fridge/freezer for about 15 minutes to stop the baking process.
Remove the centers of the cupcakes, saving the tops and you are ready for the filling... To see how I remove the centers click HERE.


Filling:
-Beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy.
-Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with heavy cream.
-Beat in the salt, coconut flavoring, and vanilla extract.
-Continue beating until mixture is smooth and spreadable.
-Add additional confectioners’ sugar if necessary to thicken the frosting, or more cream to thin.
-Fold in the shredded coconut.
Then add the filling to a plastic baggie, snip the end with some scissors, and squeeze the filling into the hollowed out cupcakes.  Pop the cupcake tops back on.  These are very moist cupcakes, so be prepared to wipe your hands off after replacing each top!  :)

Frosting:

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
   
2. Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

Keep them in an air tight container in the fridge until ready to serve so that the cream cheese will set up and not spoil.

I must say, I have an amazing little kitchen helper...

As I was trying to take some professional photos of the cupcakes to share with y'all, I notice something in one of my shots...

 

Hmmm... What the dickens is THAT?

Oh, it's just Jillian and her nail clippers.  

The little stink!

 Then she was in rare form for the camera...

Sorry, couldn't resist....

Now go rescue those poor innocent bananas from those pesky fruit flies and make something banana-y!