Banana Caramel Cupcakes

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.

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.

1. In the first bowl, combine the solid cupcake ingredients with a fork.
2. Mash the bananas in a second bowl and mix with the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Mix the vanilla extract and the caramel syrup into the buttercream on a low setting. Mix until blended.
8. 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.