Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

My daughter Lori had a delicious banana cupcake from a famous bakery where she lives ~ and she challenged me to duplicate it.  I gave it a try and am so happy with the results! 

I took a recipe for banana cake and changed it slightly. 

Servings:  16 cupcakes
Ingredients for cupcakes:
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter; softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of white sugar
1 1/2 eggs (I beat 2 eggs slightly with a fork and used 4 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 medium ripe bananas; mashed well

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 275 degrees (that is not a typo!)
Prepare your cupcake pans with liners.

In a small bowl, stir mashed bananas with lemon juice.

In a medium bowl sift flour, baking soda, and salt.
In your mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, and add vanilla.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk starting and ending with the flour.  Scrape bowl frequently.
Stir in bananas.

Spoon mixture into your cupcake pan.

Bake for 45 minutes (no, that is not a typo either!)or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  These cupcakes will not rise a lot!

As soon as the cupcakes are baked, put them onto a wire rack, and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.  Sounds strange?  The results are well worth it!

Ganache ingredients:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate; chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

Ganache directions:
Put the chocolate and the cream into a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir.  If the chocolate in not melted, heat for 15 second intervals.  Do not overcook; the chocolate will get grainy.

Refrigerate until cool, and it has time to thicken slightly.

Scoop a small hole into the top of the cooled cupcakes.  With a small spoon, fill the holes with the ganache.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces of cream cheese; softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter; softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioner's sugar; sifted

Frosting directions:
In a large mixer bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Beat in vanilla.
Add the sugar slowly with the mixer on low speed. 
Beat on high speed until the frosting is smooth.
Pipe onto cupcakes.

Note:  I sprinkled finely ground walnuts on the top.

Enjoy! Pin It

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