Everyone really likes banana cupcakes! And these are topped with light caramel buttercream. The cream melts on your tongue and gives a slightly sweet taste. The cupcakes are moist, creamy, and deliciously spiced. A simple, easy, and delicious recipe that you just can't resist.

Banana Caramel Cupcakes
It was my son's birthday, and I made cupcakes for his party: banana cupcakes, strawberry cupcakes, and chocolate cupcakes. In the coming weeks, I will also be blogging the other two recipes, but I thought I'd start with this one. Why? These were so good that people ate two in a row!!!
I enjoy making cupcakes for birthdays because even though the ingredient list seems long, they are quick and easy to make. In addition, they store well (much easier to spread over the fridge than a big pie) and are super tasty.
These banana cupcakes are a bit like the well-known banana bread. But because you use cake flour, the cake is softer. The creamy topping you flavor with caramel makes these cupcakes even more delicious. You can't get enough of this!
So for the recipe. I adapted it from Martha Stewart.
What do you need for Banana Caramel and Buttercream Cupcakes?
To prepare these Banana Caramel Cupcakes, you need the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
Ingredients Banana Cupcakes

- Cake flour - This flour is made from soft wheat and contains little gluten. This makes it great to use for cakes and cupcakes.
- Bananas - Gives a delicious taste to the cupcakes and reduces the need for eggs and sugar.
- Baking powder and baking soda - Are leavening agents and make the cupcake airy. You can replace baking soda with baking powder, but that's a less potent leavening agent.
- Buttermilk - It's sour milk. It is necessary for the baking soda to work (you need acid for that). If you don't have buttermilk, you can use ¾ cup (180 ml) of milk and one teaspoon of vinegar.
- Light brown sugar - Is sugar with a delicate caramel taste. And that goes well with these cupcakes. If you don't have light brown sugar, you can replace it with regular or dark brown sugar. The taste will be slightly different.
- Vanilla Extract - If you can get it, use natural vanilla extract, which has a deeper flavor than artificial vanilla extract. With this recipe, you can make your own vanilla extract (and certainly, if you bake a lot, it is highly recommended because you can use this for a good time).
- Butter - Use unsalted butter in this recipe at room temperature. This improves the airiness of the cupcakes.
- Eggs - Use eggs size L. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature, allowing them to mix better with the batter and make it fluffier.
- Salt - Adding a pinch of salt improves the taste and sweetness of the cupcakes.
- Cinnamon - Cinnamon is delicious in combination with caramel and banana.
Ingredients Caramel Buttercream

- Sugar - Boiling sugar gives caramel. Note: Always stay close when boiling sugar into caramel; it burns fast.
- Cream - Gives a creamy flavor to the caramel.
- Butter and egg whites - By whisking the egg whites until fluffy and mixing with the butter, you get a buttercream.
- Vanilla Extract - For a delicious vanilla taste. You can also use one teaspoon of vanilla sugar.
How to prepare Banana Cupcakes with Caramel Butter Cream
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.

- In the first bowl, combine the solid cupcake ingredients with a fork.
- Mash the bananas in a second bowl and mix with the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
- In a third bowl, mix the butter with brown sugar until creamy. Incorporate the eggs one at a time. Mix in succession on low-speed half of the flour mixture, the banana mixture, and again the flour mixture. Mix until everything is incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the paper ramekins and bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 °F (180 °C). Let cool to room temperature.
- Heat the sugar with water in a saucepan until it is an amber color, and mix in the cream (be careful it can splatter, so wear gloves and safety goggles). Blend until smooth.
- Heat a bowl over boiling water and mix the egg whites with sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and mix until peaks form. Add the butter to the egg whites in three parts while mixing.
- Mix the vanilla extract and the caramel syrup into the buttercream on a low setting. Mix until blended.
- Put the caramel buttercream in a piping bag and pipe a swirl on the cupcakes. You can also scoop it onto the cupcake with a spoon if you don't have a piping bag. Drizzle with some extra caramel syrup.

Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Equipment
- A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
- cupcake and muffin pan
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2¾ cups cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon , ground
- 4 large bananas, very ripe and mashed
- ¾ cups buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ sticks butter, unsalted, room temperature
- 1⅔ cups light-brown sugar
- 3 eggs , size L, room temperature
Caramel butter cream
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 1½ stick butter , unsalted, room temperature
- 2 egg whites, size L
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can slect which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Banana Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
- Grease the wholes in the baking tin and line them with the paper cups.
- Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.2¾ cups cake flour, 1½ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Whisk together the bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla in a second bowl.4 large bananas, ¾ cups buttermilk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a third bowl, mix the butter with the brown sugar on medium speed until it's fluffy.1½ sticks butter, 1⅔ cups light-brown sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, while beating until it's incorporated.3 eggs
- Reduce to low speed. Add half of the flour, then the banana mixture, and end with the rest of the flour. Beat just enough to incorporate it.
- Divide the mixture into the paper cups.
- Bake for 20 minutes in the oven.
- Let them cool down for 3 minutes and get them out of the tins.
- Let them further cool down to room temperature on a wire rack (before putting the caramel buttercream on top.)
Caramel buttercream
- Combine the sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan.⅓ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water
- Heat over medium until the sugar is dissolved, and you have a clear syrup.
- Cook until it comes to a boil and let it boil until it has a very dark amber color.
- Remove from heat, put gloves and goggles on (for hot spatter), and add the cream while stirring with a wooden spoon. Let cool down.2 tablespoons cream
- Combine in a second clean and grease-free bowl the sugar with the egg whites. Also use clean and grease-free mix hooks and whisk.½ cup sugar, 2 egg whites
- Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water (au bain-Marie) and constantly whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Get it off the heat and mix further, starting at low speed and gradually going to high speed until peaks have formed. Change the speed of the mixer to medium and add the beaten butter three times. Mix well after each addition.1½ stick butter
- Add the vanilla.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Set the mixer on low speed and very slowly add ¾th of the caramel sauce to the mixture.
- Put the cream in a piping bag and make swirls on top of your cupcakes.
- Top with a drizzle of the remaining caramel sauce
Notes
- Room temperature - Store the cupcakes without cream topping at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator - Store in the fridge for up to 3 days with a topping or when it's warm outside. The refrigerator will change the structure slightly due to the humidity in the fridge, but the cupcakes are still delicious. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
- Freezer (only without topping) - Wrap in plastic wrap and then in a freezer box. This keeps the cupcakes good for up to 3 months.
Liz says
The buttercream was amazing!!! These may be my new favorite cupcakes!!! SO yummy.