Thursday, July 8, 2010

Banana Creme Cupcakes


I had this huge honkin’ banana staring at me all day. Eaatttt meee….it whispered from the fruit bowl. But I didn’t want to eat it.

 
My belly is full with blueberries, cherries and peaches. Surely there is no room for a banana in my tum. And so it sat. And it browned. And the browner it got, the less I wanted it. I hate to waste food, especially produce, but I couldn’t bear the thought of shoving a mushy banana down my throat just on account of being frugal.


And it was about then I remembered I had leftover cream cheese frosting. Glorious cream cheese frosting just begging to be used. Begging to be slathered over a light banana treat. Banana cupcakes, anyone?
 
Yes, please.

Like I said, I’m trying to use what I have. I have eggs, cake flour, applesauce and low fat buttermilk. Mix that all up and you’ve got yourself a heavenly banana cupcake. Light and airy and easier on the waist line, I suggest you go for these little treats.


Banana Creme Cupcakes
What ya need:
¼ cup applesauce
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon  baking soda
½  teaspoon salt
½  cup low fat buttermilk

What ya do:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with paper liners.
2. Put applesauce and sugar into bowl of standing mixer. Beat until light and combined. Add banana, eggs and vanilla and beat well. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together and slowly add to wet ingredients.
3. Slowly add the buttermilk and beat until well blended. Fill each liner about ¾ the way full and bake for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
4. Cool in pan before removing and frosting.

I used the same cream cheese frosting as on the avocado cupcakes, and it’s a wonderful combination. You could also omit the frosting and have this as a muffin. Each cupcake, before frosting, is only 135 calories. Awesome, I know.
Another great thing is the flexibility in this recipe. You could easily substitute butter for the applesauce and sour cream for the butter milk. You could add more banana for more of that mellow flavor, but like I said, it's up to you!

That’s all for now! Adieu!



***PS*** I've now had these little muffincakes at my house for a few days and I've found they are marvelous unfrosted and with peanutbutter for breakfast. This makes it a little healthier, obviously, and just as yummy!!!


13 comments:

Lauren said...

banana cake is my favorite! oh, and these look as light as air! yum:)

Christina said...

mmmmmmm these look fantastic!!! so fluffy!

Monet said...

Yes! These look delicious and healthy! I love the subs you made...applesauce works wonders. Thanks for sharing a wonderful dessert!

Roxan said...

Beautiful pictures! I love the use of applesauce. I almost always turn over-ripe bananas into bread, but maybe next time I should turn them into cupcakes!

Cookbook Queen said...

Yummy!! These look and sound delicious!! I always buy bananas with the best of intentions but I always seem to end up with one that goes bad. :( This is the perfect way to use it up!

Lauren said...

Jessie, you are a baking machine. I don't know how you do it. For serious. Am I the only one who, a few nights a week, eats the same thing? Blah!

Anyway, these are some pretty good-looking, healthy cupcakes. And we all know (actually, most people wouldn't have a clue) how pro-banana I am. Ummmm, this might explain that banananess.

Point is, I think I saw you "tweet" (yuck, can't use that word seriously) about cupcakes for breakfast, and I was thinking, couldn't you just dunk these in peanut butter and have them with a glass of milk and call it breakssert? Yes, yes you could.

-- Lauren, Lauren's Little Kitchen

Mother Rimmy said...

I have brown bananas staring at me too. Perfect way to use them up. I get tired of banana bread. :)

CC Recipe said...

I made banana bread with my banana's today...should have made banana cupcakes instead:} These look yummy!

Magic of Spice said...

Just delightful!

Rick said...

Bananas! I'm there.

Drick said...

I know these are super moist with the ingredients and by looking at them ... just great...

Anonymous said...

What a great use for that banana! These look delicious :)

Joy said...

I love banana cream pies. This is great conversion to cakes. Thanks for the share!