B-A-N-A-N-A-S

Life happened.  Work, traveling, can't complain, but needless to say, it got in the way of the blogging world.  This should have been posted months ago to honor my dear friend's birthday celebration.  In honor of the birthday festivities I whipped up something delightful.  He requested bananas – “anything banana.”  Your wish is my command!  I asked my sister what she thought would be a fun birthday dessert with bananas – something different.  She immediately said – “can you do a Boston cream donut, but a banana cupcake version?”  Fabulous idea!  Why didn't I think of that?  A banana cupcake with a  custard like filling and a buttercream frosting.  Done.

I wanted the banana cupcake to be impeccable, super moist, but full of that delicious banana taste.  This recipe is actually almost like banana bread or muffins.  At least there is just a slight tweak on the banana bread recipe I use religiously.  I wanted the filling to leave you wanting more, but it needed to be delicate, not to over-power the cupcake.  I decided to use banana pudding.  An excellent additional banana flavor, enhancing the extreme burst of banana I was trying to achieve.  Now that I have the intense banana flavor covered, I wanted to top it off with a classic buttercream frosting.  I used my traditional vanilla buttercream, but rolled the cupcakes in cinnamon graham cracker crumbs.  These cupcakes went from a Boston cream donut to now almost resembling a version of a banana cream pie with a graham cracker crust.  Delicious.

Result - RAVE reviews.  The birthday boy even had two!  And our waitress at the restaurant took away the leftovers.  I guess they even looked too good to pass up!  I’d chalk this recipe down as a huge success.  Now I want to make another batch to relive the experience all over again.  Now that's bananas!

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 tablespoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup European style unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed

• 3/4 cup plain yogurt

Filling:

• 1 package instant banana pudding

• 2 cups milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• My Vanilla Buttercream

• 2 pounds confectioner's sugar (1 package)

• 2 sticks butter (European style preferred), softened

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Milk, as needed for consistency 

Garnish:

• 2 cups crushed cinnamon graham crackers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.  In another large bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light.  Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.  Add flour mixture alternately with bananas and yogurt, mixing on low speed just until moistened. 
2. Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes 5 minutes in pan, then remove cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, prepare filling and frosting.  Mix banana pudding with milk according to package directions, adding vanilla.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.  For frosting, mix all ingredients until creamy. 
4. Once cupcakes are cool, insert a paring knife into top of each cupcake, making a small hole in the center.  Spoon filling mixture into the hole in the top of each cupcake.  Swirl frosting on top of each cupcake; roll in graham-cracker crumbs.  Keep chilled.