It's My Birthday...And It's Bananas!

It's sweltering in the Philadelphia region today (as I write this, it's 101 degrees outside).  Still, I couldn't go through the day without making myself a cupcake or two (or twelve) for my birthday.  So, I found a recipe for banana cupcakes and cranked the oven up to 350 degrees against my better judgment.  The result was this:

I found the recipe on Martha Stewart's website and thought they sounded nice and light.  Instead, the batter was thick and the frosting was really sweet (I added the yellow food coloring for fun).  I think I would have liked just a touch more cinnamon in the frosting as well.  They are more like iced banana muffins with a really sweet icing but overall pretty tasty. 

Martha Stewart's Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

Banana Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana, for garnish (optional)

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2.  Make a well in center of flour mixture.  In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix).  Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.

3.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon honey

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1.  In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat confectioners' sugar, unsalted butter, honey, and ground cinnamon until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.

2.  Spread tops with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting.  Just before serving, peel and slice banana into rounds, and place one on each cupcake, if desired.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!