Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

It all started with ripe bananas on the counter.  When I'm feeling like being good, I throw said bananas in the freezer for smoothies.  When I'm craving a treat, they end up in my kitchen Aid, being used to make some flour-filled treat that I most often regret. 

And that's what happened.

Oh yeah, and we have a friend in town who had a birthday--

so I sorta blame these cupcakes on him.

Banana Cupcakes

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/8 cups oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 cups milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2.  In a large bowl, mash bananas.

3.  Add in eggs, oil, vanilla, milk and mix together.

4.  Add dry ingredients and mix together gently.

5.  Fill muffin liners a little fuller than 3/4 full.  When I did this I got taller cupcakes.

BUT variances in oven heat, altitude, baking powder etc. may be factors. 

To be safe you could start out to 3/4 full.

6.  Bake for 20-24 minutes; until a toothpick comes out clean.

7.  Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter--cool

8 oz. cream cheese cold

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa powder

4 cups powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoon heavy cream

1. Blend together butter and cream cheese in large mixing bowl.

2.  Add vanilla and cocoa powder and mix together until the cream and cocoa combine.

3.  Add powder sugar and mix on low, gradually increasing to medium
until mixture is fluffy.

4.  Add in 1-2 tablespoons of cream and mix till even more fluffy.  Keep in mind the consistency that you would like if you are planning to frost cupcakes.  When the beaters in the frosting form peaks and stay there, is my rule of thumb for a good consistency for frosting cupcakes.
5.  Frost your cakes.
6.  Devour.

cupcake recipe adapted from here.

frosting recipe adapted from glorious treats.