recipecommunity | Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes (Reply)

I went on a cupcake baking spree during the holidays last year and gave boxes of assorted flavors as my family's Christmas gift to everyone. The most successful flavor in that everyone kept asking me to bring them to parties, dinners and picnics were the Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes. They're not complicated to make and everything is mixed in one bowl so cleanup is fairly easy. And you have a choice of Brown Butter Frosting or Cream Cheese Frosting if you want a less sweet finish.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup mashed banana (the riper, the better)
2/3 cup buttermilk*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional; if you add the nuts, reduce the chocolate chips to 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. If you have a gas oven, use an oven thermometer for accuracy. On my oven, it's Mark 6 but this can vary from oven to oven. Place 24-28 cupcake liners in muffin or cupcake pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter, banana, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or by hand for about 5 minutes until the dry ingredients are well incorporated into the wet ingredients. Add the eggs; beat 2 more minutes until batter is well blended. Add the chocolate chips and nuts by hand.

Spoon batter into prepared pans, about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes then remove cupcakes and transfer to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting. Makes 24-28 cupcakes.

*If you don't have buttermilk, put 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup. Fill with milk to make 1 cup and stir. Let the mixture stand for about 20 minutes before using.

Brown Butter Frosting
1/3 cup butter
4 cups (1 pound) confectioner's sugar (sift if lumpy)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a saucepan and heat until light golden brown. Blend in the remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth and spreadable. Use quickly as it tends to stiffen as it cools. If it does, add a little more milk to soften again.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioner's sugar (sift if lumpy)
Pinch salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth and fluffy. Keep in refrigerator if not using immediately. This is the same frosting I use on my Carrot Ginger Cupcakes except that I mix in 2 teaspoons grated orange peel in lieu of the vanilla extract.