My Cupcake Hall of Fame

I'll be honest.  This past week I've struggled to get a post up.  It's not that I don't feel like baking, because I do!  I really, really do.  But there are extenuating circumstances here.  I'm in the final days of a 12 week Biggest Loser-style weight loss competition, and I'm *this* close to winning.  I sit in second place with a big fat cash prize dangling in front of me if I can somehow squeak my way into first place.  So as you can imagine, baking cupcakes is probably not in my very best interest right this moment.

(I know, I know, what was I thinking starting a blog about CUPCAKES in the middle of something like this?  What can I say?  I like to make things harder than they have to be.)

Fortunately for everyone, I took some pictures of one of my all-time favorite cupcakes when I made them for a friend's birthday a few weeks ago.  Aannnd....for the second post in a row we have tan frosting.   Don't judge a book by its monochromatic cover, people.  After the first bite you'll see that inside of these cupcakes, there are a couple of very nice surprises......

I've made these cupcakes more times than probably any other in my arsenal.  They're the ones that People Who Know always request when they're asked what they want.  There's something universally likable about the combination of bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate.  That's right, these cupcakes have all three and then some. 

The cake is a light and fine-crumbed banana cake, each one with a wedge of dark chocolate tucked into the middle.  On top is a rich and creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting. And because I'm kinda crazy like that, I like to lace it with a dose of cayenne pepper.  There's a whole lot happening with these, but all the elements come together like magic. 

The cake recipe originally came from Rose Levy Berenbaum's The Cake Bible, but I have heavily tweaked it over the course of the past few years.  It's a cinch to make, although the method is a little unusual.  However it happens though, the banana cake turns out unlike any other one I've made.  It isn't dense and moist like banana bread; the cupcakes are as light as a feather with golden brown domes that nothing short of perfect.  Add the rich peanut butter frosting with the afterburn of cayenne and the dark chunk of chocolate in the center, and you've got a cupcake that's worthy of a spot in my imaginary Cupcake Hall of Fame. 

They're also worth hours and hours of sweating them off at the gym.  Trust me, I know. 

Completely Awesome Banana Cupcakes

heavily adapted from The Cake Bible

Makes 24 - 26

Preheat oven to 350º

In a food processor, process until smooth:

3 large ripe bananas

3/4 cup sour cream

add and process briefly until smooth:

3 eggs

zest of one lemon

2 1/4 tsp vanilla

In bowl of an electric mixer, combine and mix on low speed 30 seconds:

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/8 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

Add 1/2 of the banana mixture and:

1 cup butter, at room temperature

Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened.  Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides.  Add banana mixture in 2 more batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.  

Fill paper lined cupcake tins 3/4 full, and into the center of each, press:

1" piece of a chopped, good quality dark chocolate bar

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cakes spring back when touched.  Let cool in tins for 10-15 minutes before turning out to a wire rack.  Cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy:

12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick butter, at room temperature

Gradually add, 1 cup at a time, scraping down the sides frequently:

5-6 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Continue beating until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.

Add and beat until thoroughly blended:

2/3 cup smooth peanut butter (don't use natural pb, Jif or Skippy is what you want here)