Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter-Chocolate Frosting

February 18th, 2011

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter-Chocolate Frosting
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There is a cupcake joint in Seattle (called Cupcake Royale) that features a different fabulous and original cupcake flavor each month. In January there was a cupcake that really caught my attention: the Elvis.

The Elvis was a banana cupcake with a chocolate- peanut butter frosting. If these are the kind of flavors that you like- then you will understand how exciting that was to me! It is based on the famous favorite flavor combo of Elvis Presley.

Anyways this is an attempt at recreating that cupcake. It is a sweet, fluffy banana cupcake, and the frosting is a good mix of creamy peanut butter and chocolate. They are topped with a crispy banana chip for color and crunch!

Banana Cupcakes, makes 12
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups banana chunks

Peanut Butter–Chocolate Frosting
½ cup soft butter
4 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
½ cup peanut butter
2 oz dark, unsweetened chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with paper liners.
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In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar.

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Add the eggs and the vanilla and cream until combined,

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients and partially mix.
Add the banana chunks and beat everything on high until you have a smooth batter.

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Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins.

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Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until they are just baked through and fluffy.

Let them cool completely on a rack before frosting.

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To make the frosting, combine the butter, sugar and milk in the bowl of a standing mixer.

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Combine and then add the peanut butter and the chocolate and whip to a creamy frosting.

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Melt the chocolate in the microwave and add to the frosting when it has cooled. Whip until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a banana chip.

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Enjoy

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  1. Carolinaheartstrings says:

    I love banana anything and just add chocolate and I am there!

    10:07 pm on February 20th, 2011
  2. jenjenk says:

    Oh, how I love bananas, peanut butter, & chocolate together!! I’m on a diet but this just sounds so freaking wonderful, I may have to breakdown & make it.
    I wish you guys lived in So Cal. I’d be camped out at your house! :)

    10:08 pm on February 20th, 2011
  3. Vicki B says:

    Okay Heather, spill the beans….how do you make all these gorgeous desserts and stay so slim?

    10:09 pm on February 20th, 2011
  4. eatliverun says:

    more banana cupcakes! love your frosting!

    10:09 pm on February 20th, 2011
  5. Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says:

    Those are so beautiful! Love the flavors and the cake looks like banana bread – and that’s a good thing. Great photos.

    10:11 pm on February 20th, 2011
  6. Heather Christo says:

    Vicki- lol! just a taste! but I will be honest, all those tastes are adding up- I might need a little sugar detox :)

    10:13 pm on February 20th, 2011
  7. kristin says:

    Why aren’t we neighbors? You could leave one of these delish concoctions on my doorstep! :)

    10:14 pm on February 20th, 2011
  8. April says:

    Did you just use cocoa, or is it baking chocolate melted? Thanks, these look delicious, I can’t wait to try them.

    4:54 am on March 29th, 2011
  9. Heather Christo says:

    Oh my gosh April! woops! not very step by step when you leave out a step, huh? yes, just use unsweetened chocolate or a high cocoa % chocolate, melt it in the microwave and add it to the frosting. Very sorry for the instructions- I will fix them :)

    7:51 am on March 29th, 2011
  10. Rupa Lakshminarayan says:

    Hi Heather
    Am new to you site….just happened to bump into and love reading your blog recipes
    I have tried so much to make muffins but every time i get saucer type tops and not the dome shape muffins you have
    how can i get same as yours
    thanks

    - Rupa

    4:43 pm on July 22nd, 2011

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