Chocolate Banana Cupcakes 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
- Use ripened bananas with brown spotted peels for best flavor
- Mash bananas with a potato masher to leave small banana chunks
- Bananas can also be pureed in a blender for a smoother cake sponge
- White sugar can be substituted with coconut sugar
- Let your cupcakes cool completely on a rack before frosting
Tips for Espresso Chocolate Buttercream
- Use room temperature butter.
- Whip your butter and vanilla extract together until smooth and fluffy before adding cocoa.
- Use dark cocoa for richer flavor.
- Use instant coffee granules dissolved in milk and/or instant coffee granules plain. You can also substitute for 2 tsp full Espresso Powder.
Tips for Frosting your Chocolate 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 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.
Espresso Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
Espresso Chocolate Banana Cupcakes are fluffy cupcakes with chunks of banana, topped with rich chocolate espresso frosting that tastes like a mini banana split.
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Servings: 12 Cupcakes
Calories: 479kcal
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 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 Espresso Buttercream
- 1 Cup (16 Tbsp) Softened Unsalted Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup (64 g) Dark Cocoa Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 Tbsp Instant Coffee Powder dissolved in 2 Tbsp Almond Milk
- ¼ Cup (60 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
- 4-5 Cups (500-625 g) Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 350 F (176 C) and line cupcake pan wells with 12 paper liners.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate medium bowl, stir together mashed bananas, eggs, butter, and vanilla.
- Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and gently stir until combined. Do Not over mix.
- Using a 2 Tbsp ice cream scoop, measure out 1.5 scoops (3 Tbsp) of batter into each cupcake liner. Each liner should be ¾ filled with batter.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Place pancake tray on cooling rack for 5 minutes.
- Then remove each cupcake individually placing on rack. Let cupcake completely cool before frosting.
Make your Chocolate Espresso Buttercream
- In bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip on medium high softened butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Add dark cocoa powder, salt, espresso mixture, and whipping cream. Continue on medium speed until incorporated.
- Slowly add powdered sugar a cup at a time until buttercream is firm but creamy. (You may only need 4 cups).
- For thinner frosting add 1 Tbsp of milk at a time and mix again. For thicker frosting add ¼ cup powdered sugar at a time and mix again.
- Scoop buttercream into piping bag with desired decorating tip and pipe onto cupcakes.
Notes
Store cupcakes in an air tight container at room temp for 3-5 days.
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Nutrition
Calories: 479kcal