Banana Pudding Cupcakes Like The Actual Dessert Food

BANANA PUDDING CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Place 1 vanilla wafer flat-side down in the bottom of each cupcake liner.
• Blend vanilla cake mix, water, eggs, and vegetable oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in mashed bananas and 1 cup crushed wafers. Scoop batter into prepared tins.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool, about 30 minutes.
• Combine vanilla pudding and sliced banana in a small bowl.
• Scoop out tops of cooled cupcakes, leaving a small hole in the middle of each. Fill holes with pudding mixture. Place a heaping spoonful of whipped cream on each cupcake; garnish with remaining 2/3 cup crushed vanilla wafers.

BANANA PUDDING CUPCAKES (LIKE THE ACTUAL DESSERT!)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F Grease 24 cupcake wells or line with paper liners. Count out 12 vanilla wafers for the garnish and set aside.
• Place the remaining 24 vanilla wafers flat side down in the bottom of each cupcake well; set pans aside.
• For the batter, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth, about 1 minute; you will have about 1 1/4 cups.
• Place the cake mix, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl with the banana puree; blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Increase mixer speed to medium and beat another 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
• Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each cupcake mold, filling 3/4 full. You'll get 22-24 cupcakes; remove empty liners, if using, or take out the batterless vanilla wafers if you're greasing the pans.
• Bake until cupcakes are golden and spring back when touched, 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 5 minutes; carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool 15 minutes on the racks before filling.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Place the milk in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the pudding mix until blended.
• Place pan over medium heat and continue to whisk as the mixture comes to a full boil, 3-4 minutes; remove pan from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour the pudding into a medium bowl and cool for 20 minutes.
• While the pudding is cooling, make the topping: Crush the remaining 12 vanilla wafers; set aside.
• In a large chilled bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer (chilled beaters also) on high speed until thickened, 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the sugar; beat again until stiff peaks form, 1-2 minutes more.
• To assemble the cupcakes, remove the paper liners and place cakes on a platter. Spoon the pudding into a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip.
• Pipe a generous amount of pudding into each cupcake (1-2 Tbsp) through the center of the top, allowing about 1 teaspoons of the pudding to overflow onto the surface of the cupcakes.
• Sprinkle the wafer crumbs on top of the pudding and dollop about 1 tablespoons of the whipped cream over the crumbs.
• Just before serving, stand a banana slice in the whipped cream; serve.
• Store the cupcakes, without the banana garnish, lightly covered in the refrigerator for 1 day; add the banana slice just before serving.

BANANA PUDDING CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in mashed bananas and 2 cups crushed cookies. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• Frost cupcakes with whipped topping. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup crushed cookies. Top with banana chips.

BANANA PUDDING CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk the flour, ground cookies, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the milk and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter in two batches, alternating with the milk mixture in two batches. Add the chopped banana and stir with a rubber spatula until blended.
• Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way. Bake until the cupcakes are golden and spring back when gently pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to the rack to cool completely.
• Make the filling: Put the white chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave until steaming, then pour over the white chocolate and let stand until softened, 3 to 5 minutes; stir until smooth. Let cool about 15 minutes, then refrigerate until thickened slightly, 5 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The filling should fall off a spoon in a slow, thick ribbon.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the confectioners' sugar, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk and beat until smooth, about 1 more minute. Beat in the remaining 1 tablespoon milk if the frosting is too stiff.
• Cut a 1-inch-wide slit in the top of each cupcake, cutting about halfway down. Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Gently squeeze each cupcake to open and pipe the filling into the cupcakes. Spread or pipe the frosting on the cupcakes; top each with a cookie and a banana slice.