Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing recipe

I love making cupcakes. I’m a bit shit at making big cakes look good, but it’s so easy to, armed with a piping bag and a large star nozzle, make a beautiful cupcake. Recently I was asked to make some cupcakes for a baby shower and the mother to be requested Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing. These pregnancy craving flavoured creations were the stars of the afternoon tea so I thought I’d better share them with you too.

I always have a brown banana or 5 to hand because no one in our house likes them once they lose their green tinge, which makes banana based baking top of my list. I was worried these cupcakes would be more muffin than cake, but they’re not. These are an oil based cupcake so they’re *eek* super moist, and cakey. There’s a hint of cinnamon, but it’s not overwhelming and the peanut butter icing is the banana cupcakes new best friend. I could eat PB buttercream straight from the mixer with a shovel; it’s soft, it’s salty and it’s sweet. These two are a match made in heaven. Thank you to Just So Tasty for helping me create this recipe for the mum to be.

I can absolutely guarantee you don’t have to be pregnant to enjoy these Banana Cupcakes with PB icing. I’m definitely not and I ate 4.

It’s a crowded line up but these cakes are packed full of flavour and slathered in peanut butter icing. Thankfully, this recipe reduced my collection of brown bananas by two, at least.

Make a start with the cakes. Prepare your muffin tins and pre heat the oven to 160 degrees fan assisted. Next, mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and salt then pop to one side.

In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl, measure in both caster and soft brown sugars with the oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat until smooth and well combined.

Now pour in the milk and mix again, then add the flour and cinnamon mixture.

Mix until you have a smooth, thin-ish batter then finally fold through the mashed bananas and give it one last mix.

Fill the cupcake cases three quarters full then bake for around 20 minutes or until golden, firm to the touch and smelling amazing.

Put these onto a wire rack to cool while you make the buttercream. Beat the soft butter and peanut butter until smooth.

Add the icing sugar, a little at a time, until the buttercream is smooth. If you need to, add a splash of milk to loosen it up.

Spoon or pipe the buttercream onto the cooled banana cupcakes.

Then tuck right in. These are bloody delicious, if I do say so myself.

Thank God 2020 and its banana bread has buggered off. These banana cupcakes are so much more 2021 and the peanut butter buttercream is, quite literally, the icing on the cake.

Lucy x

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing recipe

Makes 12

You will need a stand mixer or bowls and a hand whisk and a 12 cup muffin tin with liners

Banana Cupcakes

210g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

80ml vegetable oil

115g caster sugar

55g soft brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

80ml milk

2-3 very ripe bananas – 2 large ones or 3 smaller

Peanut Butter Icing

100g soft butter

100g smooth peanut butter

350g icing sugar

A splash of milk, if needed

Start with the cupcakes by lining a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners and pre heating the oven to 160 degrees fan assisted. Next, measure the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and salt together and give it a little whisk. Leave to one side.

For the cupcakes, take the bowl of your stand mixer or a bowl with a hand whisk and add the eggs, caster and brown sugars, oil and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and well mixed. Pour in the milk and mix again, then add the mashed bananas and give the mixture a final beat.

Spoon into the muffin cups, filling each one three quarters full. Bake for around 20 minutes or until golden, firm to the touch and well risen. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a rack while you make the icing.

In your stand mixer again or in a bowl with a hand whisk, beat the soft butter and peanut butter until smooth and well mixed. Add the icing sugar a little at a time, beating as you go, until you have a spoon, soft icing. If the icing is too stiff, add a splash of milk to soften it up.

Pipe or spoon your icing onto the cooled cupcakes. Add a spritz of edible glitter, if you like, then devour. These will keep in a cool place in an air tight tin for 2 to 3 days.