Banana Cupcakes With (The Best) Chocolate Meringue Frosting

My favorite sister Lauren (she happens to be my only sister, but I'm pretty sure that even if I had more, she'd still be my favorite) is staying with us until the holidays (yay!). She arrived just in time for her birthday, which was on Tuesday. Because I cannot let someone's birthday pass uncelebrated and because any excuse for frosting is a good one, I whipped up some mini banana cupcakes before she was even out of bed. Normally, my celebratory baked good of choice is a many layer cake, but I knew my sister would appreciate the single serving nature of cupcakes (mini cupcakes being even better because you can eat them in multiples). 

I've made many banana cakes and cupcakes, but these are my favorite thus far. My hubby and sister, both of whom know their way around banana baked goods, said the same thing and little Claire seemed pretty enthusiastic as she pointed and chanted, "more that, more that." Skip the frosting, add some walnuts to the batter, and sprinkle some wheat germ or flax on top and I daresay you could even call these muffins.

If the cupcakes don't seem indulgent enough to be a treat, never fear, the frosting has no redeeming healthy attributes--it just tastes really good. I first stumbled across this frosting when I was on a quest for a delicious chocolate icing that could withstand outdoor festivities on a New York summer afternoon without turning into drippy mess. This icing held up admirably and it has been my go-to recipe ever since.

We use this little cupcake stand by vesselsandwares all the time.  

Banana Cupcakes

(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)
makes 12-18 standard size cupcakes or 24-36 mini cupcakes, depending how tall you like them

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
2/3 cup natural cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard or mini muffin pan or line with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until just combined. Distribute batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes for standard sized cupcakes (or 16-18 minutes for mini cupcakes). Let cupcakes cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Then remove the cupcakes and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Spread the tops with chocolate meringue frosting and enjoy!

Chocolate Meringue Frosting
(slightly adapted from Chocolate Buttercream in the Well-Decorated Cake)
This recipe takes some time, but it makes enough for at least two layer cakes or six dozen cupcakes. I always make the full recipe and freeze half to two thirds. Just defrost, re-whip, and it's as good as new. It's perfect for making impromptu cakes, which, as everyone knows, are the very best kind.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 lbs confectioners' sugar
1 cup high quality Dutch processed cocoa powder
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1/3 cup kahlua or chocolate liqueur
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups ganache (I consider this optional. It certainly makes the chocolate flavor more intense, but the frosting is still delicious without it if you're short on time)

Directions:
Prepare the ganache, if using. Cream the butter for two minutes. Scrape the bowl and cream for an additional minute. Sieve cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar together (note: this will take much longer than you think). Add the sugar mixture one cup at a time to the creamed butter. Mix until well blended. Add meringue powder and beat for one minute. Mixture will appear dry.

Add milk, vanilla extract, and liqueur to the buttercream. Beat until well combined. Either continue to beat until light and fluffy or add ganache one cup at a time, and beat until light and fluffy.

Ganache
makes 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 lb high quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped roughly into pieces

Directions:
In a heavy saucepan, boil heavy cream. Remove from heat. Add chocolate pieces and use a rubber spatula to stir until the chocolate is melted. Pour into a room-temperature bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm.

Leftover ganache can be stored for up to two weeks in the refrigerator or frozen.

Comments

[Pretty Mommy]

Yum! Yum! Yum!! Must. make. now.

[lthursto]

They really are the best birthday cupcakes I've ever had... thank you sister :)