Banana cupcakes

  

It's been a long time, but I'm back again. Vacation, a couple of birthdays, a lot of work on my own cooking classes. It all was very crazy. But it was great to. I love vacation (of course), but I also like to work in my own business. It gives me a lot of energy.

My son had his birthday and I made cupcakes. Banana cupcakes, strawberry and chocolate cupcakes. In the next couple of weeks I'm going to blog all the recipes, but I want to start with the banana cupcakes. They were delicious. People took two of them!!!
And I love to do cupcakes for a birthday party, because they don't take a lot of work.

So for the recipe. I adapted it from Martha Stewarts cupcakes (I didn't have the pecans in house).

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
- 3 cups cake flour;
- 1.5 teaspoons baking soda;
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder;
- 3/4 teaspoon salt;
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon;
- 4 very ripe and large bananas, mashed;
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) buttermilk;
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract;
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature;
- 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar;
- 3 large eggs, room temperature.

Caramel butter cream (about 2 cups):
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons of sugar;
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) water;
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) heavy cream;
- 3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature;
- 2 large egg whites;
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Preparation:
Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Grease muffin tins and line them with the paper cups. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt en cinnamon. In a second bowl whisk together the bananas, buttermilk and vanilla.

In a third bowl mix on medium speed the butter with the brown sugar until it's fluffy Add eggs, one at a time, beating until it's incorporated. Reduce to low speed. Add half of the flour, then the banana mixture and end with the rest of the flour. Beat just enough to incorporate it.
Divide the mixture in the cups.
Bake for 20 minutes in the oven, and remind to turn the cakes halfway of the time.
Let them cool down for 3 minutes and get them out of the tins. Let them cool down on a wire rack until they are completely cooled down, before putting the caramel butter cream on top.

Caramel butter cream
Combine 1/4 cup of sugar plus 1 tablespoon and the water in a heavy saucepan.
Heat over medium, until the sugar is dissolved and you have a clear syrup. Cook until it comes to a boil and let it boil until it has got a very dark amber color. Remove from heat, put gloves on and add the cream, while stirring with a wooden spoon. Let cool down (it will dissolve).

With a mixer, medium - high speed, beat the butter until fluffy. Combine in a second bowl 1/4 of the sugar with the egg whites. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water (au-bain-marie) and whisk constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Get it of the heat and mix further, starting on low speed gradually going to high speed, until peaks have formed. Change speed of the mixer to medium and add the beaten butter in 3 times. Mix well after each addition. Add the vanilla.

Set the mixer on low speed and very slowly add your caramel to the mixture.
Use the mixture on room temperature.

And for the end result: