Banana bread is perhaps one of my most favorite things to eat (ever). I adapted my go-to recipe recently for a banana bread obsessed bride to create these scrumptious cupcakes. Combining over-rip bananas with crunchy walnuts and a delicious mound of cinnamon buttercream for the perfect, decadent bite.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¹⁄₂teaspoons baking powder

¹⁄₄teaspoon salt

¹⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 tsp all-spice

2 overripe bananas

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup soft unsalted butter

1egg and 1 egg yolk

¹⁄₂teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, combine the bananas, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, whipping together for a good 2-3 minutes. Add the softened butter and eggs and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients, folding into the wet until just incorporated.
4. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
5. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners in a cupcake tin to approximately halfway.
6. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the cupcakes comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before turning the cupcakes out.

Buttercream

2 sticks of room temperature (unsalted) butter

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups of confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons of milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whip butter, salt and vanilla at medium speed with an electric hand-mixer until pale and fluffy.

Add in the cinnamon and confectioners sugar 1/2 a cup at a time, combine thoroughly.

Add in the milk and beat at high-speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

For Decoration:

Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes, sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon sugar and add a few dried banana slices.