Classic Banana Cake
Yield: 12
Adapted from a recipe by Ellen Einstein in Baking From My Home to Yours, found here
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons margarine, room temperature and 1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a regular-size muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the margarine until creamy. Add the applesauce and sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then the egg, beating for about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (don’t be disturbed if the batter curdles), all the sour cream/buttermilk mixture and then the rest of the flour mixture.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, about 2/3 full.
Bake the cupcakes for about 28 to 32 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. (The cakes will rise above the muffin cups, dome and then spread out and flatten beyond the cups—that’s fine.)
Transfer the muffin tin to a rack, cool for 3 minutes, then gently turn the cupcakes out of the tin. Frost when cooled.
Chocolate Frosting
Yield: Enough to frost 12 cupcakes
Adapted from, The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard
Ingredients:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I only had semi-sweet)
4 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Take bowl off the heat once melted and sift confectioners’ sugar into bowl. Stir until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Dip tops of cupcake into chocolate and twist for a swirled top.