Banana Fosters Cupcakes

One of my secret dreams is has always been to grow up and open a baker with my cousin and best friend Leah. Before “Cupcake Cousins” could ever become a reality, we need some serious baking practice. Cupcakes are fun! Last night, with a large group of my friends and I (while watching Jersey Shore) made Banana Fosters Cupcakes. I found a recipe online and slightly modified it and they turned out amazing!

Here’s the recipe I started with.

For the Cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (my batter was very wet, so I added flour until it reached the desired consistency)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon dark rum
Banana mixture already prepared (see directions)
3/4 cup sour cream

For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I like extra)
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (modify for desired sweetness, I used less)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon dark rum

Directions:

Bananas Foster:
In a sauté pan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook until butter melts and sugar is dissolved (4 to 5 minutes). Add the banana slices (2-3 firm ripe bananas, cut in half and then length wise) and cook until tender, turning once for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Stir together rum and vanilla. Turn off the burner and add the rum to the pan.

Using a long match, light the alcohol by placing the flame just in the outer edge of the pan. Stand as far back as possible. The flame should extinguish in a few seconds. (I did not actually light them on fire for several reasons. A. electric stove, not gas…it ended up spontaneously combusting on its own anyways. B. you need a strong dark rum with a high alcohol content… we were working with Malibu Black 70 proof…delicious btw…and C. someone said the only reason they light it on fire is to quickly cook out the alcohol, and since we don’t mind getting drunk off cupcakes, we opted against.)

Gently shake the pan from side to side to coat the bananas with the sauce. Spoon the bananas into a bowl and set aside.

Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl (preferably kitchen aid mixer if available), cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Then add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Next, add sour cream, eggs, vanilla, rum and the banana mixture. Mix well, but do not over mix.

Pour into prepared cupcake pans. (This is easier said than done. You want the tins about ½ to 2/3 full. If you spill batter on the pan, wipe it up before baking to make for an easier clean up.) Bake 16-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool completely before frosting. I found that it may be easier to refridgerate the frosting before frosting the completely cooled cupcakes. It allows the frosting to thicken and stiffen up, which looks prettier.

Frosting:
Beat together cream cheese, butter, cinnamon and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add about half the powdered sugar and beat until mixed well. Then gradually add the remaining powdered sugar until you reach a spreading consistency. You really don’t want a wet frosting, and it might spread easier if it were chilled.

I really wish that I could say we decorated them really cute! With a chocolate covered raisin and a banana chip, on top of our beautiful firm cool frosting. But the truth is that the frosting was too wet and the cupcakes were too warm. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc and snip the corner.

All in all, these were a hit! I will definitely be making them again. They smelled amaaaazing. They were a little time consuming, but fancy cupcakes are worth it. It’s very satisfying to work hard for immediate delicious results.