Banana Caramel Cupcakes with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 18
Ingredients
Banana Caramel Sauce
  • 1 cup/ 200 grams sugar
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 1 cup/ 240 ml heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons /60 grams butter
  • 2 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
Cupcakes
  • 8 tablespoons/ 1 stick/ 115 grams unsalted butter, softened
  • 1¼ cups/ 250 grams granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 cup/ 340 grams of banana caramel sauce, divided (you might not use it all)
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1¾ cups/ 210 grams flour, divided
  • 6 tablespoons whole milk
  • 3 egg whites
Chocolate Frosting
  • 1 and ¾ cups/ 210 grams confectioners' sugar
  • ¼ cup/ 21 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 8 tablespoons/ 1 stick/ 115g unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Frosting
  • ¾ cup/ 185 grams creamy peanut butter
  • 4 tablespoons/ 60 grams unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup/ 90 grams confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan mix together the sugar with water. Stir so that all the sugar is moistened. Turn on the heat to low/medium-low. Boil until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Do not stir during this process! Just let it go. If the sugar starts to crystallize that's ok it will smooth out later.
  2. Once the sugar is golden brown, pour in the heavy cream and butter. The mixture may rise up, sputter, and clump a bit. Now you can stir! Stir and continue to keep on the heat until the sauce is smooth.
  3. When the sauce is smooth add the slices of bananas. Stir to make sure the bananas are covered in sauce. Turn your heat to low if you're not there already and let the bananas cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Remove the sauce from the heat. Smash up the bananas as best as you can using a fork or immersion blender. This does not need to be perfectly smooth, but giant chunks aren't great either. Set your sauce to the side for now. You will have made way more than you need so if you want to eat some spoonfuls as you work on everything else, that's ok too.
  5. Now for the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
  6. Line 18 cups of 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
  7. Using a stand mixer or a large bowl and hand mixer, cream together the butter and 1 cup (200 grams) sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  8. Add ¾ cup (250 grams) of the banana-caramel sauce, the baking powder, and salt to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat until smooth.
  9. Stir in 1 cup flour (120 grams).
  10. Next, pour in 6 tablespoons milk and beat until combined. Then add the remaining ¾ cup flour (90 grams). Mix together gently until smooth.
  11. Using a stand mixer or large bowl and electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Once that happens, turn your mixer to high and gradually mix in the remaining ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar. Beat until the egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.
  12. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Make sure there aren't any streaks of egg.
  13. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each liner half full.
  14. Use a teaspoon and pour some of the banana caramel sauce over the top of the batter.
  15. Cover the banana caramel sauce with more batter so the cases are about ¾ full.
  16. Bake until the cupcakes for 25 minutes, or until they tops are springy when touched gently.
  17. Set aside to cool while you prepare the icing.
  18. Starting with the chocolate frosting, stir together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder to assure there are no lumps. You can sift if you want, I just hate doing that and I've found equal results with sifting versus vigorous stirring and smashing clumps with my finger. Set aside.
  19. Using a stand mixer, or a large bowl and handheld mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
  20. Gradually pour in the sifted sugar and cocoa powder, alternative with the heavy cream and vanilla. After each addition, beat on low speed until creamy and just combined. Set aside.
  21. Now for the peanut butter frosting; and the method is pretty much the same. Using a stand mixer or a large bowl and a handheld mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter and butter until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
  22. Add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth and combined.
  23. Add the cream and mix until fully incorporated.
  24. It's now time to frost the cupcakes. Use a knife and take a dollop of each type of frosting and artfully swirl it and spread it over the top of the cupcake. Or, be fancy and use a piping bag with a fluted tip. Stand the piping bag in a tall class. Fill one side (vertically) with the chocolate frosting. Fill the other side (vertically) with the peanut butter frosting. When you pipe you should get a beautiful swirl.
  25. Serve and eat. You deserve a treat after all that work!
Recipe by Cooking is Messy at https://www.cookingismessy.com/2016/04/21/banana-caramel-cupcakes-chocolate-peanut-butter-frosting/