chocolate banana cupcakes

Two of my favorite flavors in dessert, brought together in a fabulous cupcake! I mean, can you ever go wrong when chocolate and banana are involved?! Plus, the icing is so smooth and chocolatey, I could probably just eat it with a spoon! You're going to want to make these ASAP. (And careful, they seem to disappear quickly!)

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes (recipe from Bakerella)

ingredients:

Cream Cheese Mixture

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 small banana, pureed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Mixture

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large bananas, pureed

1/3 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the cream cheese mixture:

• Beat cream cheese and sugar until nice and fluffy.
• Add banana, egg and vanilla and mix together until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

For the chocolate mixture:

• Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, soda and salt using a wire whisk.
• Add bananas, oil and vanilla and mix together on low until combined.
• Use a large scoop to fill cupcake liners with batter.
• Repeat topping the cupcake batter with the cream cheese mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until done.

Chocolate Sour Cream Icing (recipe from Real Simple)

ingredients:

12 

ounces 

semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 

cups 

(3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 

cups 

confectioners’ sugar

3/4 

cup 

sour cream

pinch kosher salt

directions: 

1. Heat the chocolate in a double boiler or medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, stirring often, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the sugar and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the chocolate, sour cream, and salt and beat to combine.
3. Top the cupcakes with the frosting once they are cooled.

Let me know if you try them out! 

-Kylie

s'mores cupcakes

If you follow me on instagram, then you saw my first experience using my kitchen torch. IT WAS AWESOME! I want to make everything that requires torching!! 
When my friend Cher was here, we knew we wanted to bake something together. And after I found this s'more cupcake recipe, there was no question about it! They turned out pretty amazing, if I do say so myself, and using the torch on the meringue frosting made my kitchen smell like toasted marshmallows!

S'mores Cupcakes (recipe from Bakerella)

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• Chocolate Cupcakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• Meringue Frosting
• 6 egg whites

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 
  

Instructions

Make the crust first:
In a medium bow, mix together crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter until well blended and no dry crumbs remain.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.

Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each liner. Press the crumbs flat into the liner using the bottom of a small glass. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of chocolate over each crust. (Reserve remaining graham cracker crumbs and chopped chocolate to top the cupcakes before baking.)

Bake crusts for 8 minutes. Remove the pans and let crusts cool for at least 5 minutes before adding cupcake batter.

For the cupcakes:

After crusts are prepared, increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F.In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Then combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add sugar and mix until combined. Then add flour mixture. Blend at low and then increase to medium. Beat for 2 minutes until blended and smooth. 

Remove bowl from stand and add boiling water. Gently stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Batter will be thin. Then let batter rest for 15 minutes and stir again gently before using. 

Fill liners with prepared crusts three-quarters full with batter. Sprinkle with reserved chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Bake about 16-20 minutes until done. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Make the meringue frosting:

Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water without letting the bottom of the bowl touch the water in the saucepan. 

Hold the handle of the bowl with an oven mitt while whisking the egg white mixture until the sugar is dissolved and the whites are hot to the touch… about 4 minutes. Then transfer bowl to the stand mixer. 

Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture, starting on low and increasing to high speed. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form and the meringue has cooled, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vanilla and whisk just to combine. Use frosting immediately.

Place the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a tip of your choosing. (Or a ziplock bag, with the tip cut off.) Pipe high swirls on the cupcakes and brown the meringue using a kitchen torch and serve immediately.

Who's gonna go make this amazing cupcakes now?

-Kylie