Week 2: Banana Center Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

I made these lovely cupcakes for my friends birthday. I am a bit old fashioned and sometimes tend to do things the long way -- but only because I enjoy the challenge of trying to make things taste as heavenly as they look and sound!

The challenge in this project, for me, was making the combination of moist chocolate cake and flavorful, old fashioned banana cream pudding with a zing of sugary buttercream frosting - in a lovely cupcake wrapper without having too much of a good thing thus causing overkill!

I made several test batches with a few options (ie., different combinations of icing, pudding center, etc.) and I think this final batch was just the right amount! I hope you enjoy the pictures and try the recipe as much as I enjoyed making them!

Best!


Double Chocolate Cupcake Batter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup best-quality cocoa
1 1/2 sticks soft unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons good-quality vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream
1 pkg. mini semi-sweet morsels

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and beat in the softened butter until you have a creamy mixture. Whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs. Beat into your bowl of mixture. Add mini-morsels and fold into the batter.

Divide the batter among cupcake cups and bake approximately 17-24 minutes. Depending on your oven. Check with a toothpick. When toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done!

VERY IMPORTANT to let cupcakes cool completely! Once the cupcakes are cooled, pipe in the banana pudding and frost!



Banana Pudding Center

For ease - whip up a box of Sugar-Free or Regular Jello Banana Cream Pudding Mix and fill cupcakes once they are completely cooled.


Chocolate Frosting

6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
3/4 stick unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract


Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
6-7 cups confectioner's sugar
6-8 Tbsp. whole milk or half and half cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter until very fluffy. Add part of the sugar and salt and beat again. Continue adding sugar and milk in small batches, alternately, beating until very fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

I recommend Wilton gel colors. The gels will not reduce your frostings and the colors are very vibrant.