Here is the recipe for deliciously moist Banana Cupcakes topped with velvety smooth Cream Cheese Frosting. And the best part is that these cupcakes can be decorated with a topping of YOUR choice! Whether you choose a fancy sprinkle medley, dark chocolate chunks, chopped walnuts, banana slices, or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, you’ll love these cupcakes more and more with every bite! I am just so excited to be sharing this recipe with you guys–it’s SO good.
Oh How We Change…
It’s funny how much we as individuals can change over time; our demeanors, interests, and the things that we value can gradually transform without us even realizing it. The past ten years of my life is proof of this. I used to long to live in a little apartment in a big city, and now all I want is that small-town life. Living cozy in a house with a big yard surrounded by family and a supportive community.
Career-wise I went from wanting to be a journalist to a high school guidance counsellor, to a baker, to being a girl who now is smitten with food blogging and food photography. (Technically I guess the writing part has always stayed with me).
When I was in middle school day-dreaming about my future husband I was convinced he’d have blonde hair and blue eyes–but if you look at my husband now, it’s obvious that my attraction turned towards dark hair and dark eyes. What can I say? 😉
I went from loathing any time spent in the kitchen to growing a love for recipe developing and testing. Now the kitchen is my favourite place to decorate, organize, and create in!
Those are just a few personal examples. When it comes to my taste in food though, I have changed like crazy! I went from only liking hot dogs and chicken nuggets as a kid to now…where all I want to eat is any and every kind of roasted vegetable, shrimp, lobster…I mean, I will honestly try anything!
I didn’t even like bananas–not raw and not in any desserts. And worst of all, I hated cream cheese. ALOT. I stayed far away from cheesecake and cream cheese spread, and especially frosting. And now, at 27 years old I am in LOVE with cream cheese. It’s amazing. I’m so glad I changed my ways because these Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are insanely delicious.
If there’s one thing that’s stayed the same though, it’s my love for Taylor Swift. I’m still going strong for her music since 2008 y’all, just saying. I mean, my love for her goes so far that I’ve been listening to her Reputation Karaoke album on repeat and it’s pure gold. Hahaha wow…anyway, if you love Taylor too, let me know in the comments below because hey, I’ll jump at any chance to talk about her. 😉
OK, back to Banana Cupcakes!
Line Your Muffin Tin.
This Banana Cupcakes recipe is pretty standard, nice and simple which is what the Flour & Floral blog is all about: simply made dishes and desserts with high quality ingredients that taste as BEAUTIFUL as they look! Sounds good, right?
So first, get your oven preheating to 350 and then line your 12-cup muffin tin with 12 paper liners. I can’t even tell you how important this first step is to me. With cakes, cupcakes, cookies or whatever, getting my pans prepped and ready to go even before the batter is made just makes all the difference! Wouldn’t you agree?
Speaking of cupcake/muffin paper liners, I actually used LARGE-sized baking cups for this recipe and I’m never going back to standard sized liners again. The cupcakes just stand much taller than they do with standard-sized, they actually look more like bakery cupcakes now than just homemade cupcakes.
Get Yourself A Cookie Scoop–NOW.
This has got to be my fourth blog post already explaining how much I love having a cookie scoop. Not only is it great for cookies (especially my Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies), but it is amazing for scooping up cupcake batter from the batter bowl and effortlessly distributing the batter into each paper cup. It’s so mess-free and really helps for even distribution. I’m tellin’ you, go get yourself a cookie scoop: I recommend this one! You’ll be thanking me for the rest of your baking-life, especially when you’re making these Banana Cupcakes later.
Cream Cheese Frosting.
I’m sorry, but cream cheese frosting for these Banana Cupcakes is non-optional. Cream Cheese frosting is the only way. Haha, I’m kidding. I get it, your kitchen = your rules. (Man, I don’t know if it’s all the cupcakes I’ve been eating, but I’m in a weird writing mood today. Please, don’t mind my strange antics.)
Since falling in love with all-things cream cheese not too long ago, I know the BEST cream cheese frosting recipe and it tastes amazing with these Banana Cupcakes. It also tastes INCREDIBLE in my Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. I think you should go check it out and then continue on wracking your brain trying to decide which delicious cream cheese frosting recipe you should make. 😀 Sorry ’bout that.
P.s- I only use the Full-Fat cream cheese in my recipes, and I don’t plan on stopping. Full-fat anything and everything please!
Decorating The Banana Cupcakes.
One of my favourite thing about these banana cupcakes are the variety of different toppings to work with. Craving chocolate? Go ahead, chop up some dark-chocolate baking bars and sprinkle them on. Are you especially nutty today? Like more so than usual? (–haha yikes…really bad joke.) Then chopped walnuts (or dare I even say chopped pecans) are the cure!
Feelin’ fun and fancy? Get a jar of your favourite sprinkle medley and go to town on these cupcakes! (I used a jar from Sweetapolita’s Shop!) Wanna stay a tad more on the healthier side of things today? Top it with some banana slices for even more banana flavour!
My personal favourite toppings for these Banana Cupcakes are chopped walnuts with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Those two combined are perfect! So much texture and flavour and not too sweet. Because there’s nothing worse than eating a dessert that’s just too sweet.
Recipe For These Banana Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting:
Thanks so much for reading and I hope you’re hungry for cupcakes now! Please let me know if you make these! DM me on Instagram, message me on Facebook, or leave a comment below! I love to hear from you guys and make new friends (aka baking buddies). 😉 Happy baking, friends!
Banana Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Banana Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 cup Cane Sugar (or White Sugar)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or extract)
- 2 Eggs large, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk room temperature, (or sour cream or greek yogurt)
- 3/4 cup Bananas mashed ripe/overripe (about 2 medium size bananas)
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 8 oz (1 pkg) Full-Fat Cream Cheese softened
- 4-5 Cups Confectioners Sugar according to taste
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Optional Toppings
- Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks Baking Bar, chopped up
- Walnuts chopped up
- Banana sliced
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Baking The Cupcakes
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Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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In the bowl of a stand-mixer using the paddle attachment, or a large bowl using a hand-mixer, cream together on medium speed until light in color and fluffy the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla bean paste. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula.
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Add in the eggs one at a time, making sure to incorporate each egg before adding the next.
Pour in buttermilk and mashed banana and mix until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula.
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In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add this mixture to the wet mixture and mix on medium speed for at least 1 minute.
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Using a cookie scoop, distribute the cupcake batter between the 12 paper liners, they should be filled 2/3rds of the way up.
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Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until tested with a toothpick and toothpick comes out of cupcake clean. When baked, remove from oven and set tin on cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes from tin and allow to completely cool on cooling rack.
Making The Cream Cheese Frosting
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In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand-mixer, cream softened butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
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Add confectioners sugar, salt, and vanilla and begin mixing on LOW speed to get the sugar mixed in. Then mix on medium speed for a minute, scrape down sides of bowl, and then mix for another minute.
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If frosting is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk or heavy cream. If frosting is too thin, add more confectioners sugar. You want the frosting to be thick enough to hold its shape, yet still creamy and spreadable.
Decorating The Cupcakes
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Take a 12" disposable decorating piping bag, snip off the end with scissors, and insert a Wilton 2D tip into it.
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Fill piping bag with a comfortable amount of Cream Cheese Frosting and pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes.
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Immediately sprinkle the top of the cupcakes with your desired toppings: banana slices, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles or chocolate chunks and walnuts. Enjoy!
