Banana Cupcakes with espresso chocolate 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!
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.
Tips for Espresso Dark Chocolate Frosting
- Use room temperature culture butter with 82% butterfat.
- Whip your butter and vanilla extract together until smooth and fluffy before adding the cocoa.
- Make sure to choose dutch processed dark cocoa for a richer flavor and color.
- Espresso powder is added to enhance the chocolate flavor adding umph to the chocolate frosting.
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.
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 Espresso Chocolate Frosting
Moist banana cupcakes with chunks of banana and a rich chocolate espresso frosting for a delicious banana split flavored dessert.
Ingredients
Method
- 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.
Nutrition
Notes
Store cupcakes in an air tight container at room temp for 3-5 days.
Gary Davis
Delicious! I couldn't get my icing to come out as dark as yours. I used the dark cocoa. Only sub I made was I used espresso powder. Loved them anyway. Thank you.