Banana cupcakes with peanut butter, nutella and cream cheese frosting

I had a bunch of bananas siting around that were turning brown.  I hadn't made banana bread in a really long time so initially that was my plan.  I couldn't find a proper pan so I decided to try cupcakes instead.  I am proud of the finished product, although they were kind of heavy, more of a banana bread consistency than a light fluffy cupcake.  I am sure that you can achieve a light fluffy banana cupcake if you don't use real bananas but rather use banana flavoring.  I actually like the way mine turned out because the cake itself was not too sweet and had a great natural banana taste, not to mention super delish and super easy.  The frosting I came up with by myself.  I found a recipe for peanut butter frosting and modified it so i could add in some nutella, since I LOVE nutella. Whoever came up with the idea of nutella should be given some type of award for creating deliciousness in a jar.
I ate one of those babies and sent the rest in to work with Aaron.  I  spent the weekend wishing I had saved a few for the house.  Oh well, maybe next time.

Cupcake Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana, for garnish (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions 

 

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.

Frosting Ingredients

 

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup nutella

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsps vanilla

splash of milk

 

Directions

mix all of the frosting ingredients together with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy   Youc an add more or less sugar to taste.

Once cupcakes are cool, frost tops with frosting.