Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting are what you make with bananas browning on the counter and a bag of chocolate in your pantry just screaming to be used. These fluffy cupcakes with chunks of banana, topped with rich chocolate espresso frosting that tastes like a mini banana split!

Chocolate frosted cupcakes on recipe paper.

Tips for Banana Cupcakes

Always bake with ripened bananas with brown spotted peels for the best flavor.
Mash the bananas with a fork to leave small banana chunks for the batter.
Bananas can also be pureed in a blender for a smoother cake texture if you prefer.
Always make sure to allow cupcakes to cool completely on a rack before frosting or the buttercream will melt.

Cupcakes on table covered with recipe pages.

Tips for Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Use room temperature butter.
Whip your butter and vanilla extract together until smooth and fluffy before adding cocoa.
Make sure to choose dutch processed dark cocoa for a richer flavor and color.
For enhanced chocolate flavor adding the espresso powder will give some umph to the chocolate.

Chocolate frosted cupcakes on table looking down from above.

Tips for Frosting your Banana Cupcakes

Use a #1M Open Star Tip to create an intricate swirl
Trim end of plastic piping bag
Place tip into bag and push towards open tip, exposing metal star end
Fill bag with chocolate espresso buttercream
Twist bag at the larger open end to prevent leaking
Squeeze buttercream towards decorating tip
Pipe starting on the edge of cupcake spiraling inwards towards the center
Finish by continue to squeeze frosting, pressing gently down and then pulling up (releasing pressure on piping bag)to create a chocolate tip on the cupcake.

Closeup of chocolate buttercream frosted banana cupcake on table.

How to Store Banana Cupcakes

Place the frosted cupcakes in an air tight container and keep at room temperature for 4-5 days. Unfrosted cupcakes that are cooled can be wrapped in plastic wrap twice and frozen. Frozen cupcakes will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Let frozen cupcakes warm to room temperature before frosting.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Jenn

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting are fluffy cupcakes with chunks of banana, topped with rich chocolate espresso frosting.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings Cupcakes

Ingredients

Banana Cupcakes

1 ½ Cups (192 g) All Purpose Flour
¾ Cup (156 g) Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Kosher Salt
1 ¾ Cups Mashed Over Ripe Bananas, 3-4 bananas
2 Eggs
½ Cup (8 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, Melted
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 Cup (16 Tbsp) Softened Unsalted Butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
½ Cup (64 g) Dark Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, *Hershey's special dark cocoa powder works great
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons espresso powder
9 tablespoons heavy cream
4 cups (500 g) confectionary or powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 350 F (176 C) and line a 12 capacity cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, hand whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine.
Using a separate medium bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, eggs, butter, and vanilla.
Pour the wet banana mixture into the dry flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula gently stir the ingredients together in a figure eight patter, then scrape sides and bottom of bowl until not streaks of flour remain. Do Not over mix.
Divide the batter evenly amongst the cupcake liners, measure about 3 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner. Each liner should be ¾ of the full of batter.
Transfer the cupcake pan to center of the medium rack in the oven. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Place the cupcake pan on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Then, carefully remove each cupcake individually placing directly on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make your Chocolate Espresso Buttercream

In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment or a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip on medium speed the softened butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Next, add in the dark cocoa powder, salt, espresso powder, and heavy cream. Continue on medium speed until a thick chocolate paste is formed.
Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing between each cup to blend. Buttercream should be thick and spreadable.
For a thinner frosting, add an additional 1 tablespoon of cream and mix again until you reach desired consistency. For thicker frosting add ¼ cup powdered sugar at a time and mix again.
Scoop the buttercream into a plastic pastry piping bag with star piping tip and pipe frosting onto the cupcakes.