I spent the summer in France, then taking summer graduate courses, and then Orlando, so I haven't been doing a lot of baking or cooking lately. Anything I have made, I haven't had time to document or blog here. In two days I start my next semester of graduate school and a new job at the hospital working with heart-failure and heart-transplant patients. Chances are, this blog and my other blog , Fine Fettle Kettle, might continue to be slow for a while. However, I do have an excuse to either bake a cake, cookies, pie or other dessert each week, because my daughter works at the Center for Women and Children in Crisis, and can take whatever I make to them for a little sugar on the weekend.
Banana Cupcakes
(Found in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes and here)
Ingredients
- 3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 4 very ripe large bananas, mashed (about 2 cups), plus sliced bananas for garnish
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
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Directions
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Make cupcakes as directed in Basic Cupcake How-To, using mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla for wet ingredients.
- Stir pecans into batter. Once cupcakes are cool, frost tops with caramel buttercream. Frosted cupcakes will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days. Top with banana slices before serving.
Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting
(Found in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes and here)
Ingredients
- 1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 18 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
Directions
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Sift together confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and butter until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add sugar mixture; mix until combined. Mix in melted and cooled chocolate and then sour cream; scrape down sides of bowl and continue beating until smooth. Use immediately, or frosting can be stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month, in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth.
