Banana Cupcakes With Ganache Frosting Food

GILBERT GANACHE-FRIED CUPCAKES: CHOCOLATE SELTZER CUPCAKES WITH GANACHE, BANANA FROSTING, AND CARAMELIZED BANANA

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
• Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the seltzer water, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated. Add the vinegar and incorporate. Do not over mix the batter.
• Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake until a toothpick inserted into each cupcake comes out clean, 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• For the ganache: Heat the soy creamer in a double boiler over medium heat until steaming. Do not boil. In a separate bowl, pour the hot creamer over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Whisk the soy creamer and chocolate until the chocolate is melted and the 2 ingredients are completely combined. The ganache should be thick, but still pourable. Set aside.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the shortening, margarine, and banana compound. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are mixed thoroughly. On low speed, slowly add the sugar a little at a time. Once the sugar is incorporated, mix on medium-high speed until all the ingredients are combined and the frosting is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Drop the whole banana into the frosting and let it mix for an additional 2 minutes, or until the banana is mashed. On low speed, add in the soy milk until incorporated, a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. Put the frosting into a pastry bag and cut 1/2 inch off the tip.
• In a small saucepan, melt the brown sugar and margarine on medium heat. When the sugar crystals are completely dissolved in the melted margarine, add the rum and mix. Add the sliced bananas and stir gently. Let it come to a boil and thicken to desired texture. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• To assemble: Dip the tops of each cupcake into the ganache so that the entire cupcake top is covered. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the ganache to set on the cupcake. Pipe a dollop of banana frosting on top of each cupcake and garnish the top with 2 slices caramelized bananas.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED BANANA CUPCAKES WITH BANANA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners (for a total of 44 cupcakes).
• For the banana cake batter: In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Add the bananas and buttermilk and beat together well.
• For the dark chocolate cake batter: Put the cocoa in a medium heatproof bowl, pour 2 cups boiling water over it and whisk until smooth. Let the mixture cool.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at time, and then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture.
• Fill the cupcake liners one-third full with the banana cake batter. Add the dark chocolate cake batter on top, filling the liners about two-thirds full. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 16 to 19 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
• For the ganache: Melt the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a double boiler, stirring the entire time. (Be careful not to get steam or water into your chocolate mixture, as it will seize.) Stir until completely melted and smooth. Add additional cream as needed a tablespoon at a time.
• For the buttercream: In a large bowl, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, banana bakery emulsion and bananas. Whip until smooth and creamy.
• Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Drizzle with the chocolate ganache using a squeeze bottle or spoon.

CHOCOLATE BANANA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake or muffin pan with 24 regular-size cupcake liners.
• Measure all the ingredients accurately. Bring all the ingredients to room temperature. Place the butter in the mixing bowl. With the paddle attachment, beat the butter slowly until it is smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar; cream the mixture at moderate speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time. After each addition, beat until the eggs are incorporated before adding more. After the eggs are fully incorporated, mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift the cake flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg together. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Then add one-quarter of the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix just until blended. Mix the milk and banana puree. Add approximately one-third of the liquids. Mix just until blended in. Repeat until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Fill the cupcake liners half full with batter and bake until golden and baked through, about 35 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• To assemble: Cut the center out of each cupcake and fill with the French Banana Buttercream. Dip the top of the cupcake in the Chocolate Ganache. Generously frost the top of each cupcake with the Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting.
• Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Dissolve the sugar. Boil until it reaches 240 degrees F.
• While the syrup is boiling, bet the yolks with an electric mixer with a wire whip until thick and light.
• When the syrup reaches temperature, pour it very slowly into the beaten yolks while whipping constantly. Continue to beat until the mixture is completely cool and the yolks are very thick and light.
• Whip in the butter a little at a time, adding it just as fast as it's absorbed by the mixture.
• Beat in the vanilla and banana puree. If the icing is too soft, refrigerate until it is firm enough to spread.
• Put the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream to a simmer. Once a simmer is reached, pour over the chocolate chips. Using a whisk, whip until smooth and creamy.
• Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Boil to reach 230 degrees F. Leave it alone. Cook over medium heat.
• While the syrup is boiling, using a whip attachment, start beating the egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl. Once peaks begin to form, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to make the peaks stiff.
• When the syrup reaches temperature, slowly pour it into the beaten egg whites while whipping constantly with the mixer on the lowest speed. Beat on high until cool, about 5 minutes.
• Turn down to medium-low speed and add the butter on the sides and scrape. Turn to high and beat until you have a smooth texture. Add the vanilla and chocolate ganache.

BANANA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and bananas. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to banana mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition., Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. , In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy; add enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes. Garnish with sprinkles if desired.

BANANA CUPCAKES WITH HONEY-CINNAMON FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread tops with honey-cinnamon frosting. Just before serving, peel and slice banana into rounds, and place one on each cupcake, if desired.

BANANA CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., and spray a 12-cup standard or 24-cup mini muffin tin with non-stick spray. IMPORTANT: If you use paper liners, be sure to spray the insides of the liners or the cupcakes will stick!
• CUPCAKES: Mix the mashed banana and 1/4 cup sugar and set aside.
• Beat 1/2 cup sugar, butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract at medium speed of a mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Now add banana mixture and beat well.
• In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add flour mixture to wet mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing after each addition.
• Bake at 350 deg. for about 25 minutes (mini cupcakes, 12 to 15 minutes) or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• FROSTING: Beat powdered sugar, chilled cream cheese and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract at medium speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Use the back of a spoon to spread over cupcakes.
• Store frosted cupcakes and any leftover frosting in the refrigerator, although these cupcakes don't last long enough to worry about that!