Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

I love to make eat chocolate covered bananas in the summer.  It's definitely one of my favorite hot weather treats but now that the temperatures are dropping to the cooler end of the thermometer, I had to find other ways to enjoy my chocolate banana snacks.  So of course, I turned my favorite flavor combination in to a cupcake.  (I think I can turn anything into a cupcake.)

​I amped up the flavors a little bit by adding some Nutella to the mix too.  I just love the flavors of the rich, dark, hazelnut chocolate frosting with the cool, moist banana cake.  Now I'm going to have to figure out how to get Nutella into my frozen bananas for the summer.  

​I can think of no better way to use up perfectly ripe bananas than to bake them into a cupcake.  

​Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream Frosting
1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup mashed over-ripe bananas (from about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
​

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds.

​Mash bananas together with lemon juice, set aside. 

​In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter, 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, sugar and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.

​Mix in remaining 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Blend in egg, then blend in egg white and vanilla.

​Mix in banana mixture.

​With mixer set on low speed and working in three separate batches, add in 1/3 of the flour mixture alternating with 1/2 of the buttermilk and mixing just until combined after each addition.

​Divide mixture among 14 - 15 paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

​Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean, about 18 - 22 minutes. Allow to cool in muffin tin several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cupcakes are one of Ben's favorites.  

Ciao!

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