Banana Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Day 546 of quarantine and I just cannot look at another piece of banana bread. So when I found myself with 4 overripe bananas I decided to turn them into cupcakes with some super sweet frosting to make them a dessert you don’t feel AS BAD eating because well, there are BANANAS baked in, so like, it’s healthy? Right?

[Recipe adapted by Sally’s Baking Addiction]

what you need:

Cupcakes:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1.5 cups)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, at room temperature

Frosting:

• 2 sticks unsalted European butter, at room temperature
• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar, or more as needed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Milk, as needed

what you need to do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners (this makes about 2 dozen cupcakes).
• Cupcakes: In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• While this mixes, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Set aside.
• Scrape down the sides of your mixer, and then on low, add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix until combined and you can no longer see any of the egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add in the banana and mix until combined.
• On low, slowly add the dry ingredients a little bit at time until full incorporated. Drizzle in the buttermilk until combined.
• Remove bowl from the mixer and using a spatula, very GENTLY mix and make sure to get the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix, just make sure no dry ingredients have settled at the bottom of the bowl.
• Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full.
• Bang the bottom of the pans on your counter a few times to make sure to get any air bubbles out.
• Bake in the oven for about 15 – 18 minutes. Set your timer for 15 min, check with a toothpick, and if not done yet, set timer for additional 2 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.
• Set aside to cool COMPLETELY before adding frosting. If you do not let them cool 1000000% the frosting will melt and slide off when you add it.
• Frosting: In bowl of your stand mixer, beat your butter and cream cheese together for about 5 minutes, until it is completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar slowly.
• Once all sugar is in, add in the vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
• Beat on medium for about 2 minutes.
• If you want your frosting a bit thicker, add in an additional 1/4 cup of sugar at time until you reach your desired consistency.
• If the frosting gets too thick, add in 1 tablespoon of milk or cream until it reaches your desired consistency.
• You can frost using a knife or in a piping bag, whatever you prefer!
• Store leftovers in the fridge but bring to room temperature before eating.