Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
Moist banana cupcakes topped off with chocolate buttercream.
We made it through the 4-day heatwave. Normally if the temperature is over 90 degrees, I find it very uncomfortable. Surprisingly enough, none of us found it to be too hot. Extremely peculiar but maybe it’s because it’s not really humid yet – unlike how it’ll be mid-summer. Then we’ll be hiding away in the AC I’m sure. We were able to enjoy much of Saturday outside. I hung out with the kids on the deck while the Mr opened the big pool. It’s currently a lovely shade of green – nothing some time and chemicals won’t fix. The kids got to swim in the kiddie pool a bunch. Plus, we ate two meals outside on Saturday. Truly a gorgeous day. Even in the summer, we don’t eat outside a ton because it’s just too hot and humid. We enjoy the ac over bugs and humidity any day.
Now we’re awaiting the cold front to sweep back in and bring us typical weather for this time of year. I’ll miss the warmth but it’s something to look forward to in the weeks ahead. It’ll also give our air conditioners a break for a bit, we’re not use to using them quite this early in the season. Did you have a nice weekend?
I made these cupcakes a few weeks ago. I had intended on making them well before that but the banana I had set aside to be used specifically for these very cupcakes disappeared while I was out shopping one morning. I came home to find it gone… devoured and no longer available to be used. So the waiting for the perfect banana started again. I mean it was only a week or so but it was the longest wait since I really wanted to make these cupcakes.
I got the idea for banana cupcakes stuck in my head one day and there was no going back. Bananas and chocolate just go together. The only thing better would be peanut butter-banana and chocolate cupcakes but since we can’t do that here, we’ll stick to banana and chocolate. And honestly, they were perfect. Not overpowering and perfectly moist. Of course my family always complains when I frost cupcakes saying there’s too much frosting. Trust me, this is tame compared to how I’ve frosted in the past but you can’t barely frost a cupcake and have them be pretty so I’ll make them pretty and those who prefer, can scrape off the extra. Who are these people that complain about too much frosting? Equal parts cake and frosting sounds perfect. ;)
If you love bananas and of course chocolate, these are a must make. Even better, this recipe only makes 8 cupcakes, so you won’t have a ton lying around to taunt you.
Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
Cupcake:
- 1/4 C unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 C brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 C all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
Frosting:
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 C powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 8 liners.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla just until dispersed. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder and flour. Mix until combined, followed by mashed banana. Mix until smooth.
- Divide batter among liners, using 1 large cookie scoop each or roughly 2/3 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan for 5 minutes prior to transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare frosting in a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat butter until smooth. Mix in cocoa, followed by powdered sugar and vanilla. Gradually add in 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
Bananas and chocolate always go well together! These look great!
I love banana, but banana cupcakes always get me! Really, these sound so good and that frosting! Oh my gosh. YUM!
We had our a/c blasting all weekend too, but I loved every minute of the heat. Definitely much more enjoyable than today’s rainy weather… These cupcakes sound awesome, I love chocolate and banana together. And I totally agree – there’s no such thing as too much frosting!
Agreed! Loved the weather this weekend. Yesterday was almost a little too windy and today would’ve been nice if it hadn’t rained.
I’m with you and this crazy weather situation…although we’d KILL for a rain storm, we’re in a severe drought. It’s the beginning of June and it”s already in the 90’s…send help, or these cupcakes!
If I could send you rain, I totally would!
These sound so good! Definitely can’t go wrong with banana/chocolate combo. :-)
I’m soooo all over these! Love banana and chocolate together!
We were in the heat wave too but unlike you I was complaining everyday that I “wasn’t going to make it”. I don’t do well in heat, and it’s only June.. agh! But today it’s rainy and it’s going to cool down a bit so hooray on that!
These cupcakes look great. I am a banana obsessed girl who also is obsessed with chocolate and cupcakes so you just made the perfect treat!
Just wait until July/August! I’ll be complaining come then too, promise.
Yum! My boys love anything with bananas so they’d definitely love these!
Bananas and chocolate are perfect together, I agree! I love that these cupcakes have very little butter and sugar, which means less guilt with one…or eating two. They look delicious!
That’s the beauty of baking with fruit! Less sugar, butter etc and still a ton of flavor.
YUMMY! These have to be healthy, right?? :) Pinned for later!
Oh absolutely! :)
Banana and chocolate are so good together. These look great!
I would be livid if my ONE banana for a recipe went missing!! That week must have been torturous to wait to another one to ripen. I usually get impatient and stick one in the frezzer so when it unthaws its perfectly ripe to use. Also – I’m so totally digging your photos, your backlighting rocks my socks off.
Seriously, you should’ve heard the conversation that went down when I got home and found the banana gone. Next time I’ll put a sticky note on the food that’s starting to go bad that I plan on using ;) And thanks girl!
That is definitely the worst part of banana desserts. Waiting for the darn banana to ripen. And then when you do have ripe bananas lying around, you cant come up with a recipe for the life of you (or is that just me?) I am loving these cupcakes though, and your frosting skills look great to me! I need to take some tips from your photography too! I am dying over the backlighting here. But I suck at that!
That is SO true! Like I have cherries that I bought on a whim and can’t decide what to do with them because clearly eating them isn’t sufficient lol. ;)
Um, can I pay you to bake for me? Your cupcakes/desserts are gorgeous!!
Aww thanks! :)
It’s over 90 and 100 pretty much every summer from May-Sept here (Memphis) and I despise it. Except this year, we’ve actually had a spring and I’m loving it!
That sounds absolutely miserable. Note to self, only visit Memphis in late Fall(?) :) I hope spring temps last a while for you.
Woo I’m not the only person who knows someone who always says there’s too much frosting!! I’m with you, equal cake to frosting ratio! As soon as I frost a cupcake my other half is like “Ewwww too much frosting, give me a spoon so I can scrape it off” Heck, give ME a spoon and I’ll eat the frosting! I love bananas and chocolate together, these look great!
That’s exactly what I’ve always told people when they complain! More frosting for me ;)
Man I really wish I liked bananas because this recipe looks epic.
Sshhh they’re not my fav fruit either but the kids and hubs love em. Plus, they’re so great to bake with!
Yea, late fall or early spring :-)
These make me happy :-)
I’m glad! :)
Oh my god, yes, bananas and chocolate are forever meant to be together. I can’t wait to try these cupcakes!
Please let me know if you do! I’d love to hear how you like them. :)
I want to dive head first…IN.
I just made these tonight, and they are delicious! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
So glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know. :)
i love the contrasting sprinkles to the cupcake liners. i like that’s the first thing i noticed but i’m visual like that! bananas aren’t my favorite things to eat alone BUT when they’re in desserts & smoothies & also paired with chocolate..i’m all over it. these look so good and i love that it doesn’t make a huge batch cause you know that just spells trouble ;)
Yum! These look delightful, I love banana!
Banana and chocolate are meant to be together! Love these cupcakes.
Since I lack self control in any aspect of my life I can appreciate a recipe that makes 8 and has chocolate invovled!!
These look incredible! That chocolate buttercream looks so silky and delicious.
They are gorgeous! The recipe, the photography, the lighting, the colors, the whole thing. Pinned.
I recently made SIX-banana banana bread. And like you, once i got it in my head I was going to make it, I had to have it. And the week it took for those bananas to ripen was the longest week ever!
It’s torture waiting for fruit to ripen! If bananas didn’t make such delicious baked goods I’d never do it. ;)
These look delicious! I love your photos, so pretty!
These look amazing and I love that it only makes 8 cupcakes. Saves me the trouble of trying to half a recipe for 24 cupcakes and inevitably messing it up.
Also, if anyone ever steals your banana again and you need to ripen a new one, throw an apple in the bowl with it. Something in apples makes other fruit ripen faster. I swear it works. :) (It’s also why I keep my apples away from other fruit.)
You can always count on me for cutting down recipes. I’m kind of obsessed with doing that.
Got up early enough this morning to go to the gym before work, but I MADE THESE CUPCAKES instead!! Yummy! They are a hit at the office and everybody wants the (easy!) recipe. I have some bananas left so I’ll probably make more.
Loved your comment so much! That’s totally something I’d do. And so glad they were a hit! Thanks for letting me know. :)
I made these cupcakes this weekend and they were amazing. We tripled the recipe and made 24 cupcakes, and it worked out great.
So glad you enjoyed them! :)
I have just made these cupcakes and they are delicious! The mixture made exactly 8 too. If you enjoy a chocolate and banana combo, you can’t eat better. Thanks for sharing :)
So glad you enjoyed them! :)
Made these yesterday and they were delicious! I love that it only made 8! Just needed to satisfy my craving. These were perfect! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing :)
Hi o e quick question how many cupcakes makes this recepie?
The recipe states that it yields 8 cupcakes. Enjoy! :)