Banana cakes filled with caramel; topped with peanut butter swiss meringue buttercream, caramel drizzle, peanuts, and dehydrated banana chips.
yield: 14-16 cupcakes
Ingredients:
Banana Chips
1 large Banana, ripe
¼ tsp Cinnamon, ground
pinch Nutmeg, ground
Caramel
110 g Caster Sugar
60 ml Water
120 ml Heavy Whipping Cream
¾ tsp Vanilla Extract
Banana Cupcakes
6 T Butter
75 g Granulated Sugar
75 g Brown Sugar
180 g All Purpose Flour
¾ tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
pinch Nutmeg, ground
½ tsp Salt
2 Eggs, large
50 g Oikos Banana Greek Yogurt
1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
3 medium; 2 large Banana, overripened
90 ml Buttermilk
Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream
3 Egg Whites, large
225 g Caster Sugar
21 T Butter, softened
120 g (½ C) Peanut Butter, crunchy
pinch Salt
Instructions:
Banana Chips
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the banana into thin slices and place them onto the baking sheet.
3. In a bowl, combine the cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle desired amount onto banana slices.
4. Place in the oven and cook for 3 hours.
5. Remove the banana slices and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Caramel
1. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract to a measuring cup. Mix to combine, then set aside.
2. Add the sugar to a saucepot. Add the water and “swirl” the mixture once or twice. DO NOT stir as that could cause the sugar to crystalize.
3. Heat the pot on a medium, to medium-low heat. If the sides begin to crystalize, brush the sides with a small amount of water.
4. When the caramel reaches a deep amber color, take off the heat.
5. Slowly stir in the cream/vanilla mixture in several additions. Be careful! The caramel will begin to sizzle and bubble. Just continue to stir and don’t add the cream all at once. You want to gently add the cream to prevent the caramel from seizing up.
6. Once all the cream is stirred in, transfer to a bowl to cool. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Banano Cupcakes
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Place baking cups into cupcake tin and lightly spray the cups with cooking spray.
2. Add both the sugars and butter to a stand mixer. Beat on medium until the mixture becomes light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
3. Meanwhile, sift and whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
4. Mash the overripened bananas into a bowl. Set aside.
5. Once the butter and sugars are creamed, add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully combined between each addition, and the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
6. Next, add the mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
7. Finally, add the flour mixture and buttermilk in five alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). With each addition, let the mixture just come together before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl as needed. When the last of the flour is added, let the batter mix until just combined (don’t overmix!).
8. Evenly distribute the batter into the baking cups, filling about ¾ full.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops are springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool.
Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1. Leave the butter out the night before making the buttercream. You want very soft butter!
2. Place a saucepot on the stove with a small amount of water. Bring to a boil, then turn to medium/low, allowing the water to simmer.
3. In a bowl, mix together the caster sugar and egg whites using a whisk. Place on top of the saucepot.
4. Gently stir the egg white/sugar mixture with the whisk. You want to do this continuously, moving the whisk as you would a spoon. You’re not trying to whip air into the mixture, but rather constantly moving it around as the egg whites slowly cook.
5. Keep stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. You’ll notice it’s around that point when the mixture goes paler and a bit foamy. Using caution, rub the egg and sugar mixture between your thumb and index finger. If the mixture is smooth, it’s ready. If you still feel some graininess, just go back to stirring ((**You can also use a thermometer to tell when the mixture is ready, and also know that the eggs are safe for consumption. 140-160 degrees F (60-70 degrees C) is the sweet spot!)).
6. Once the sugar is dissolved, transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fixed with a whisk attachment. Carefully turn up to high.
7. When the meringue has turned smooth and glossy, turn the stand mixer down to medium, and continue to whisk until the bowl is cool to the touch. Depending on the time of the year or if you live in a hot country, this may take a bit of time. If you’re in a hurry, wrap some bags of frozen vegetables around the bowl to help cool it down faster.
8. Once the bowl has cooled down, and with the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add your soft butter one tablespoon at a time.
9. When all the butter is incorporated, continue to whisk until your buttercream comes together. If you notice the mixture is runny and not thickening up, it’s possible you added your butter too soon and it melted. But no worries! Just place the bowl into the fridge for a few minutes to help the butter cool. Once you whisk it again, the buttercream should come together.
10. Once your buttercream is ready, whisk in your peanut butter and salt until fully incorporated (Don’t be afraid to add less or more peanut butter based on your personal preference! You could also add a splash of vanilla extract, if desired.). You may find the buttercream to be a bit runnier after adding the peanut butter. If so, just stick it in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to stiffen up before piping onto cupcakes.
The buttercream should be stored in an airtight or cling wrapped container and is good on the counter for 3 to 4 days. If you’re refrigerating your buttercream, make sure you allow it to come to room temp before using. And with a spatula and some arm power, make sure to rewhip the buttercream, ensuring it’s silky and smooth before piping onto your cupcakes.
Assembly
1. Using an apple corer (or a piping tip), make a hole in each cupcake. Safe the tops but cut off any excess cake.
2. With a small paintbrush, take a small amount of buttercream and line each cupcake hole. This will prevent the caramel from soaking through the cupcake. It’s optional to skip this step. However, depending on the thickness of your caramel, the cakes may absorb it. It’ll still be delicious, but the goal is to have a little well for the caramel to sit and ooze out once the cake is bitten in to.
3. Fill each hole with caramel, then replace the cake tops over the holes.
4. Pipe the peanut butter buttercream onto each cupcake.
5. Drizzle more caramel over the cakes, then top with some crushed peanuts and a banana chip on each. Enjoy!
Notes
• Make sure refrigerated items are brought to room temp before using.
• Use unsalted butter when baking! You can always add salt, but it’s impossible to take it away.
• Always use fresh egg whites, never the prepackaged stuff.
• Make sure your bananas for your cupcakes are very ripe.
• Caster sugar is a fine sugar, somewhere between granulated and powdered. It can be a bit pricey. To make your own caster sugar, simple blitz some granulated sugar in a food processor for a minute or so.
• When making meringue-based buttercreams, it’s important to ensure the tools (and your hands) that touch the egg whites are grease free. Any traces of fat will inhibit the egg whites from whipping up. This also means NO EGG YOLKS in your whites. If you’re separating your eggs and some yolk gets into your whites, you need to chuck it and start over. To prevent the possibility of wasting eggs, use two bowls when separating. Crack and separate over one bowl, then transfer the egg white to the other bowl, and repeat.
By Higgins#8260