Banana Butterscotch Cupcakes

For my blogging debut, I decided to make banana butterscotch cupcakes. The recipe comes from "The Cupcake Deck", the best set of cupcake recipes around. I frosted them with cream cheese frosting, although the recipe itself calls for a butterscotch frosting. Both recipes included below:


Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper cupcake liners. The recipe is supposed to make 12 cupcakes but I ended up making 22. Go figure.

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 medium bananas, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup butterscotch chips

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the banana pieces, mixing until they are blended into the mixture; you will still see some small pieces of banana. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended. Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the buttermilk. Mix the remaining flour mixture until the batter looks smooth. Stir in the butterscotch chips.







Bake for about 25 minutes or until the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.











Cream Cheese Frosting (this recipe comes from Sprinkles so it's safe to say it's the best):

8oz cold cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, firm but not cold
1/8 tsp salt
3 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and salt on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the confectioner's sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Do not over mix.

Creamy Golden Butterscotch Frosting:

1/4 cup half and half
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, heat the half and half and brown sugar over low heat, stirring often, until the brown sugar melts. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute, stirring often. Pour into a small bowl and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioner's sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes. At first the mixture will look crumbly, but then it will form a smooth mass. Add the vanilla and brown sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.

The finished product:


I did taste one and it was quite delicious, if i do say so myself. Enjoy!