Banana cupcakes with chocolate icing

My mom and aunts recount eating banana cake with chocolate icing during their childhood.  I hear about it pretty often.  Last year, I made banana-chocolate cake pops with flowers and put them in a little flower pot for a cute Mother's Day centerpiece. 

This year, my aunt is hosting mother's day.  I asked her if I could bake anything for dessert, and she said she'd get back to me.  When she did, she asked for a nut-less carrot cake (my cousin is allergic to nuts), and I asked if she'd mind cupcakes instead, since I find cupcakes easier to transport than a whole cake.  She was OK with the idea, and so nut-less carrot cake cupcakes were the dessert choice.

But then I thought about it a little and decided that since she loves banana cake with chocolate icing, I would also make that for dessert -- since dessert is for Mother's Day and it is, afterall, her day.  I found a banana cake recipe and used a Nutella icing recipe - MINUS the nutella because of my cousin's allergy, although I would assume that Nutella icing on banana cupcakes might actually be heavenly - that I had made before and was quite well received.  So I made a little change to the menu and informed my aunt, but shhhh, don't tell.....she doesn't know what the change is!

Banana Cupcakes
recipe states that it makes 12, I got 12 full-sized + 8 mini cupcakes

Ingredients:

6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup mashed banana (about 1 1/2 medium bananas - I got that amount from about 1 1/3 large bananas)
1/3 cup sour cream or vanilla yogurt (I used yogurt)
3 tablespoons milk

 

Directions:

Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

 

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, and salt.

Add gradually to the butter mixture.

Add the mashed banana, sour cream (or yogurt), and milk.

Mix until everything is combined (don't over-mix).

Divide batter amongst 12 lined muffin cups.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

 

 

Chocolate Cloud Icing

(check out the Nutella version here)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but cool

1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup premium bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted and slightly cooled

1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk

pinch of salt

 

Directions:

 

In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute.

 

Add vanilla, and beat on low speed until well combined.

Add the melted and slightly cooled chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes).

 

Add the milk and pinch of salt, and beat on med-high speed for another minute.