This week's creation was inspired by one of my favourite childhood sandwiches, known also to be a fave of the King himself. Though there are several versions of his preferred form of nourishment, one including bacon, I've limited this week's cupcake to the two main components, bananas and peanut butter. The sticky treats are banana cakes containing peanut butter morsels and a banana pudding center, topped with peanut butter frosting dipped in honey bitzzzzz, a sweet little extra that my aunt (aka #1 Elvis fan) would include on my sandwiches.
Banana Cupcakes
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup banana pudding (boxed,prepared)
1 cup mashed banana (~2 medium)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine butter and sugar until fluffy (~3 minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a small bowl combine the pudding, banana and vanilla extract, set aside. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds alternating with the banana mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, until combined. Fold in the peanut butter chips. Pour the batter into the pans. This batch yielded 12 regular sized and 17 mini cupcakes baked for 12 and 10 minutes respectively. Allow to cool.
Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used all natural, chunky)
3/4 stick (1/3 cup) butter, room temperature
4 tsp Honey Bitzz
2 cups icing/confectioner sugar
2 tbsp whipping cream
Combine the peanut butter, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes). Add the sugar and milk and beat until well mixed. Fold in the Honey Bitzzz. With this batch, 2 minis went un-frosted.
Once cooled, I cut a hole into the center of each cake and filled them with leftover banana pudding. I frosted them and sprinkles extra Honey Bitzz over each.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup banana pudding (boxed,prepared)
1 cup mashed banana (~2 medium)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine butter and sugar until fluffy (~3 minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a small bowl combine the pudding, banana and vanilla extract, set aside. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds alternating with the banana mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, until combined. Fold in the peanut butter chips. Pour the batter into the pans. This batch yielded 12 regular sized and 17 mini cupcakes baked for 12 and 10 minutes respectively. Allow to cool.
Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used all natural, chunky)
3/4 stick (1/3 cup) butter, room temperature
4 tsp Honey Bitzz
2 cups icing/confectioner sugar
2 tbsp whipping cream
Combine the peanut butter, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes). Add the sugar and milk and beat until well mixed. Fold in the Honey Bitzzz. With this batch, 2 minis went un-frosted.
Once cooled, I cut a hole into the center of each cake and filled them with leftover banana pudding. I frosted them and sprinkles extra Honey Bitzz over each.
The Panel:
Unanimous vote on the great textural addition of the crunchy honey bitzzz. Compliments of a moist cake and good balance of flavours as well. Mixed reviews on the filling, some loved it while others found it overwhelming in banananess and implied that it was extraneous. Suggestions were as follows: Diana recommended adding walnut, cinnamon and oats to make it the ultimate breakfast cupcake and Cupcake Canine requested more frosting.
Sugar Princess: "Peanut butter frosting got me all shook up."
JRock: "F'n mmmmm!"
Glameow:"If the peanut butter frosting came in a jar, I would get an economy-size jar, sit on the couch, surround myself with cats and watch Bridget Jones movies until I ate the whole thing."
My comments:
This is definitely another one of my personal favourites. All the flavours came through in full force. Given the filling and boldness of tastes, it could certainly be generated as a larger version. I felt the presentation was modest.
Unanimous vote on the great textural addition of the crunchy honey bitzzz. Compliments of a moist cake and good balance of flavours as well. Mixed reviews on the filling, some loved it while others found it overwhelming in banananess and implied that it was extraneous. Suggestions were as follows: Diana recommended adding walnut, cinnamon and oats to make it the ultimate breakfast cupcake and Cupcake Canine requested more frosting.
Sugar Princess: "Peanut butter frosting got me all shook up."
JRock: "F'n mmmmm!"
Glameow:"If the peanut butter frosting came in a jar, I would get an economy-size jar, sit on the couch, surround myself with cats and watch Bridget Jones movies until I ate the whole thing."
My comments:
This is definitely another one of my personal favourites. All the flavours came through in full force. Given the filling and boldness of tastes, it could certainly be generated as a larger version. I felt the presentation was modest.