Moist Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Ermine Frosting
If you love banana desserts you'll love these banana cupcakes. They're moist, tender, and packed with real banana flavor. And the light and creamy vanilla ermine frosting is the perfect complement to the banana flavor. For an extra special touch add some homemade banana caramel sauce to the frosting or drizzle it over the frosted cupcakes.
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 249kcal
Equipment
- Cupcake Liners
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Banana Caramel Sauce (Optional)
- 3-4 tablespoons banana caramel sauce
Vanilla Ermine Frosting
- 1 recipe vanilla ermine frosting
Banana Cupcakes
- 1-1/2 cups (212 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 grams) bananas 2 medium bananas
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs
- 1/3 cup (80 grams) sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 tablespoons (169 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
Instructions
Banana Caramel Sauce (Optional)
- If making the banana caramel sauce for this recipe, make it the day before making the cupcakes and store in the refrigerator once it has cooled. Let it come to room temperature before adding it to the vanilla frosting or drizzling it over the frosted cupcakes.
Vanilla Ermine Frosting
- If using the vanilla ermine frosting for this recipe, make the flour roux first. While it's cooling make the banana cupcakes. Once the cupcakes are done finish making the frosting according to the directions in the vanilla ermine frosting recipe.
Banana Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Make the Cupcake Batter
- Place the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk the ingredients together for 30 seconds. Use your fingers to break up any brown sugar clumps.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and then whisk it vigorously for a few seconds to smooth it out. Add the eggs, the sour cream, and vanilla extract, and whisk the ingredients together until the ingredients are well combined. Cut the butter into 8 pieces.
- Add the butter to the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the banana puree-egg mixture. With the paddle attachment mix the ingredients on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 minute until the batter is creamy and the ingredients are well combined.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add half the remaining banana-egg mixture in two batches and mix on medium speed each time until each batch is well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom the bowl, and mix for another 10 seconds.
Bakes the Cupcakes
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups of the muffin pan, about 75 grams each. Each muffin tin should be about 3/4 full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 23-25 minutes until the cupcakes are risen and turned a golden brown. An instant-read thermometer will register 200-202°F (93-94°C), or a toothpick inserted in the center will come out with no wet batter and just a couple of crumbs clinging to it.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan to a wire rack. Let the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.
Frosting the Cupcakes
- Using a Pastry Bag: Fit your pastry bag with a open star tip or your favorite decorating tip and fill it with frosting. Starting at the outside edge of the cupcake, pipe frosting in a swirl with the tip about 1/4" to 1/2" above the cupcake, exerting even pressure on the bag continuously. Finish the swirl in the center of the cupcake by removing the pressure and lifting up the tip slightly as you near the center. If you’re new to decorating cupcakes it may take some practice.
- Using a Knife or Offset Spatula: Use a large tablespoon to add about 4 tablespoons of frosting onto the cupcake. Use the back of a spoon, a non-serrated butter knife, or a small offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge. While pressing down on the frosting slightly, move your spoon or knife in a spiral pattern from the outside edge of the cupcake to the center of the cupcake, to create a pretty spiral or swoop.
Storing the Cupcakes
- The unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days, if your kitchen is cool (below 70°F). Otherwise, store them for up to one day.
- Once the cupcakes are frosted they can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature in an airtight container.
Notes
Room Temperature Ingredients: The butter, eggs, and sour cream must be at room temperature, which is 65-68°F. Cold butter will not coat the flour properly in the reverse-cream method, and cold sour cream can cause the batter to break.
Weigh the Ingredients: You’ll get the best and most consistent results if you weigh the ingredients, especially the flour. A scale is also helpful (not necessary) for ensuring you have the same amount of batter in each cupcake tin.
Freezing the Cupcakes: Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well. Wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, place in a zip-top freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before frosting.
Nutrition
Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg