PB & Banana Cupcakes
I’d describe these cupcakes as “Moist & Light Buttermilk Banana Cupcakes with Fluffy Peanut Butter & Cream Cheese Frosting Topped to Perfection with Crushed Butterfinger® Candy.”
Candy Crush Peanut Butter & Banana Cupcakes, A.K.A. “The Elvis Special” The King used to smear some peanut butter onto a slice of white bread, slice banana over the top and fry in butter until golden. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think of naming these cupcakes after him.
This was my cupcake entry into the 2015 World Food Championship. It was in Celebration, Florida last year, and hotter than a billy goat with a blow torch. You can tell that the peanut butter frosting was wilting by the second, but I ended up ranking 2nd in the world in Desserts, so I guess the judges liked soft and melty peanut butter frosting!
I almost added some chopped bacon to the top, but seems like everyone’s doing that, so I opted for a banana chip and crushed candy, although I do love the sweet & saltiness that bacon adds. Makes me wonder how I would have scored if I HAD added the bacon. Don’t go there, just don’t go there.
The story behind the WFC is that it’s a tournament-style contest that includes professional chefs and qualified home cooks. Whether you’re pro or amateur, you’ll have to win a qualifier to compete. In 2014 I won a Seafood contest with the Just A Pinch recipe site and placed 7th. That allowed me to be an automatic qualifier for 2015. My heart belongs to baking, so I switched from the Seafood category to the Dessert category-hip, hip, hooray! 
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-3 Tablespoons heavy cream, as needed
- 1 regular size Butterfinger® candy bar
- 12 banana chips for garnish, if desired
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup regular muffin tin with cupcake liners. Cut bananas lengthwise, place on a small baking sheet and roast in the oven 5 minutes. Remove bananas to a medium bowl and mash with a potato masher.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and light brown sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, with mixer on medium speed. Add vanilla and mashed bananas and mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to batter in mixing bowl, alternating with buttermilk, just until incorporated. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake 17-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean but do not overbake. Cool in pan 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter 2-3 minutes on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and continue beating 1 minute. With mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time. Add cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed, or until frosting is spreadable. Beat on high 2 minutes until fluffy.
- With a sharp knife, cut candy bar into coarse chunks. Place frosting in a 16-ounce piping bag with a large star tip and pipe a large swirl on top of each cupcake. Top with crushed candy. Optional: Place a banana chip on side of frosting for garnish.
- Makes 12.
- Moist & Light Buttermilk Banana Cupcakes with Fluffy Peanut Butter & Cream Cheese Frosting
- Topped to Perfection with Crushed Butterfinger® Candy