Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Proceed with caution. These cupcakes are not for those who don't like sweets. You must be a sugar addict to enjoy eating one of these.

Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from Moms Crazy Cooking

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
For the Cupcakes

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 - 2 large ripe bananas, about 1 cup mashed
• 1/2 cup milk, room temperature (I used 2%)

For the Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• food colouring (optional)

Directions
Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with 12 paper cups. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer for four minutes or until creamy. Add banana and mix until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix again until combined. Alternate flour mixture and milk starting and ending with flour. Beat well with the mixture in between additions.
3. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1. Add butter, 1 cup of sugar, milk and vanilla to large bowl and mix on medium speed with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes or until creamy. You could also add food colouring at this point if you wish.
2. Slowly add the remaining sugar. Mix for another 2 minutes or so until the frosting is stiff enough to pipe.
3. Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles or decorations of desired. I just used a piping bag without a tip this time.