Peanut Butter and Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

 
 











How many ways can I use bananas?  Let me count the ways.  If you have been to my blog before you know that I hate to let bananas that are too ripe go to waste.  I also am still learning the art of scratch baking.  I played around with this recipe and I think I have come up with a pretty good soft textured cupcake.  It's not as dense as a banana bread, so I feel confident calling this a cupcake.  I paired bananas with peanut butter and they played beautifully together.  To top things off I put another perfect pairing of Nutella and cream cheese together to make a very decadent frosting.  Okay, can I tell you all what I'm really pleased as punch about?  I actually used a cake decorating tip for the first time and I think I did a pretty good job (if I say so myself).  It's my first time out the gate... but I think I am a convert.  No more slapping the icing on top with a butter knife for this girl. : )

 Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas mashed
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups of sugar (or splenda)
3 large eggs
2 tsp of vanilla
3/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Jiff)

Mix all ingredients together with a electric mixer.

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs baking soda

Sift all the dry ingredients together.  Add the dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients and mix with the electric mixer.  Careful not to over mix. I lined a cupcake pan with foil liners (they don't stick to the cake) and used an ice cream scoop to get even cupcakes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a fork comes out clean.  Allow to cool and frost with Nutella/Cream Cheese frosting.

Frosting: 
To make the frosting use an electric mixer to whip together 2 cups Nutella with 8oz of room temperature cream cheese.  Apply onto cooled cupcakes.  If you like you can just apply plain Nutella on the cupcakes as a simpler frosting.

Yields about 24 cupcakes.   Garnish with chopped peanuts if you desire and slices of banana.  Enjoy.

 

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