Ripe bananas are perfect for using in desserts. They give the cupcakes such a nice flavour and keep them moist and fresh for longer. I recommend using really high quality unsweetened cocoa powder, to balance the sweetness coming from bananas. Top them with freshly whipped cream, caramel sauce, some honey roasted banana chips, and enjoy!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
100 grams bananas (1 medium banana)
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons boiling water
For the frosting
200 ml double cream
4 tablespoons caramel sauce
4 tablespoons banana chips (optional)
Preparation
Place the banana in a large bowl and mash it well with a fork (or use a liquidizer), then add the cocoa powder and blend really well with a whisk. Next, add the sugar and the egg, blend well with a whisk, then add the oil and mix until the batter becomes completely smooth. Sift in the flour and the baking powder and fold it through with a rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix it.
Finally, add the boiling water and mix the batter gently one more time. A few strokes should be enough to blend it. Divide the batter evenly between six standard muffin cups (lined with paper liners), and bake in a preheated oven, at 200˚C (400˚F) for about 15-18 minutes. Check them with a toothpick, of course. Let them cool completely before decorating.
To decorate them, whip the chilled double cream until stiff peaks form, then pipe a generous amount on each cooled cupcake (Wilton 1M works well for that purpose), drizzle them with caramel sauce and sprinkle them with banana chips (if using). Yields 6 standard cupcakes.
