Easter Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
30 min 
12 cupcakes 
Some cakes containing bananas are heavy in texture. But not this Easter Chocolate Banana Cupcakes recipe. It makes the perfectly moist cupcakes with a light, chocolatey sponge. With the texture of a muffin, these chocolate banana cupcakes are lower on sugar, yet they have the right levels of sweetness thanks to the Food Thoughts Luxury White Chocolate Chips buttercream icing. Finish off the cupcakes with piped buttermilk icing using any food colouring you want (or keep the buttermilk plain), then add your favourite Easter or Spring decorations. Smashed mini Easter chocolate eggs are always a great hit in our household. Or make come extra chocolatey buttermilk icing using Food Thoughts Luxury Dark Chocolate Chips for a darker chocolate cupcake experience.
Once you’ve tried this Chocolate Banana Cupcakes recipe, you will be using it for any occasions – from a simple midweek treat, to kids birthday parties and fundraising cake stalls. Just use your imagination on the decoration front!
Storage: the banana in these cupcakes keeps them moist for days after baking. Keep them in the fridge and only take them out before consuming, so that they are slightly cooler than room temperature.
You will need
- FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 3 ripe bananas
- 3 large eggs
- 120ml vegetable oil
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 200g plain flour
- 4 tbs Food Thoughts Organic Cacao Powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- FOR THE ICING
- 170g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 240g icing sugar (sieved)
- 120g Food Thoughts Luxury White Chocolate Chips
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
Preheat the oven at 200C / 180C fan/gas mark 6.
FOR THE CUPCAKES: Blitz the bananas with a blender until completely smooth then add in the vegetable oil, eggs and sugar. Blitz again until all blended, smooth, light and airy.
In a separate large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), sieve the flour, cacao or cocoa powder if you prefer, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder. Gradually add in the wet mixture until completely blended. Don't over mix and keep it as light as possible.
Put the mixture into cupcake / muffin cases (in a cupcake tray) making sure all are equal and have level tops. Put in the oven for 15-20 mins until risen and cooked through but do not over cook. If making smaller cupcakes you may want to check them after 10-12 minutes.
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tray before moving to a wire rack.
FOR THE ICING: Beat the butter (room temperature) and sieved icing sugar together until light and pale. Add vanilla essence and any food colouring you may be using for decoration.
Melt the white chocolate chips in 30 second increments in the microwave until melted. Allow to cool slightly, making sure you don't leave it too long so that it starts to set, otherwise it will result in lumpy icing. Mix into the butter/icing sugar. If your icing is too runny then pop it into the fridge for a little while, until it stiffens as you need it to keep its form for piping. If it feels too thick then you can add a little milk.
Put the icing into a piping bag and pipe it in swirls on top of the cupcake (start on the outside edge and work your way towards the middle). Decorate with mini Easter eggs or bunnies, or small royal icing flowers.
These cupcakes are best fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge until required. The banana keeps them really moist so you they will keep for several days. You can also freeze these cupcakes, but it is best to leave any decorations off and add them once defrosted.
