Banana Cupcakes with Browned Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Vegetarian

• Produce

  • 3 Bananas, very ripe large

• Refrigerated

  • 2 Eggs, large

• Condiments

  • 1 Dulce de leche or caramel sauce

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 11/16 cup All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon, ground
  • 3 1/2 cups Confectioners' sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 2 1/2 tsp Vanilla

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1 Toffee bits or crushed nuts

• Dairy

  • 1 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted
  • 2 cups Cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup Sour cream

Found on cleobuttera.com

Description

Ingredients

• For the Banana Cupcakes:
• 1½ cup plus 3 tablespoons (7½oz/ 212g) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• ½ cup (4oz/ 113.4g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1¼ cup (8¾oz/ 248g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup (4oz/ 113.4g) sour cream, at room temperature
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 very ripe large bananas, about 300g peeled (1¼ cups pureed)
• For the Browned Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.
• This amount will make 4 cups of frosting, which will generosity top the cupcakes with enough frosting to dramatically pile it high as shown in the pictures. It will yield a 1:1 frosting to cupcake ratio. For a more moderate amount of frosting enough to yield a 1:2 frosting to cupcake ratio, make ¾ of the recipe. If you like a little swirl of frosting on top of your cupcake, then make only half the recipe.
• 1 cup (8oz/ 227g) unsalted butter
• 3½ cups (14oz/ 397g) confectioners sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups (1 lb/ 454g) COLD cream cheese, (2 8oz bricks philadelphia cut into 1-inch pieces or 28 squares of Kiri)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, more or less to taste
• To Garnish:
• Toffee bits or crushed nuts of your choice (optional)
• Dulce de leche or caramel sauce (optional)

Directions

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350F/180C.
• Line 2 standard muffin pans with 18 to 20 cupcake liners. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon (if using) to combine. Set aside.
• Peel the bananas and puree them in a food processor until smooth, or mash with a fork if you dont mind a few bits of bananas in the final cupcake.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl and a handheld mixer), beat the the butter until smooth and creamy; about 1 minutes.
• Add in the sugar and beat on medium speed until lightened up in both color and texture; 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping thoroughly between each addition.
• Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until well combined.
• Set the mixer to lowest speed, then add in the flour mixture in two batches, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat slowly until just blended; do not overmix.
• Add the banana puree and beat until just combined; do not overmix. (Tip: Overmixing can result in rubbery, dense cupcakes, so avoid it all costs)
• Preferably using an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners until ¾ full.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until they spring back to the touch and and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few cooked crumbs attached. Do not overbake.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
• Frost with the cinnamon browned butter cream cheese frosting (recipe below) in your preferred method and amount. To frost as shown in the pictures, use a small offset spatula, to cover the entire surface of the cupcake with a smooth layer of frosting. Make the frosting fuller around the edges and flat on top. Roll the sides of the cupcake in a plate full of toffee bits or crushed nuts, pressing lightly to adhere. Fit a piping bag with a closed star tip (I used Wilton 1M), then fill it with the remaining frosting. Pipe the frosting directly on top of the bare flat top. Start by applying pressure in the center, then moving twice in a circular motion and finishing off in the center. Using a squeeze bottle or piping or zipper lock bag filled with dulce de leche or caramel sauce, pipe a small dollop in the center of the frosting.
• Store in an airtight container until serving time. Store leftovers in airtight container in the fridge, allowing them to come back to room temperature before serving.
• Place the butter in a light colored skillet or saucepan over medium heat until melted.
• Continue cooking, swirling the pan constantly and stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the butter is dark golden brown a has a mezmerising nutty aroma.
• Transfer to a small bowl, cover and place in the freezer for about 45 minutes or until its solidifies but is still soft and pliable. If it get too solid and cold, give it a quick zap it the microwave to loosen and bring it back to room temperature. Just make sure its not warm one bit.
• Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or handheld mixer.
• Beat the butter for about 1 minute until creamy.
• Add the confectioners sugar, salt and vanilla and beat for about 5 minutes until lightened in both color and texture.
• Add one piece of cream cheese at a time, one after the other, mixing well after each addition so there are no lumps.
• Continue adding the cream cheese until its fully incorporated.
• Beat for about 2 minutes to lightened it up being careful not to overbeat or you might risk getting the frosting too soft from the heat of the beaters. The frosting is now ready to use.