I Bake For Attention: Banoffee Cupcakes

I like to think that my blog reflects the current trends in my eating habits, I post what I’m making for dinner, and what sweet treats I bring in for work and for me things tend to go in themes. For example, I recently had a go at low carb, raw type cooking. I still do that, but not having been in the kitchen for ages, I stored up lots of recipes that I was dying to try, and they don’t fall into the healthy category. And with that in mind..

Banoffee is basically the best dessert in the world.

I don’t think any sane person would disagree with that. My only problem with it is the whipped cream. I hate cream. When I order it in a restaurant, I scrape the cream off (to my willing boyfriend’s plate!) and when I make it at home, I make a non-cream one for myself.

A quick note about caramel – I find it really difficult to make. So this is from a jar. It’s a great shame of mine (if you’re keeping count, I buy ready made mashed potato and ready made caramel, but NEVER ready made custard) but I’ve had to ditch tons of otherwise great bakes due to failed caramel, and I won’t have it happen again!

So, this is you basic banoffee flavours in cupcake form, you’ve got banana fairy cakes smothered in caramel buttercream and dotted with dark choc chips and tiny fudge pieces. The cupcakes are light and delicate with a lovely banana sweetness, and the buttercream is rich and creamy and basically amazing. I had like a tbsp. left over and just ate it directly from the piping bag. Unless that makes me sound gross, then I totally didn’t.

Makes a dozen cupcakes

Ingredients for the fairy cakes

100g caster sugar
100g butter
2 eggs
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 ripe banana

For the Icing

85g butter
250g icing sugar
2 tbsp caramel
A sprinkling of salt
Choc chips and fudge bits, optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

The cupcakes are really easy to make. Cream butter and sugar, then add in the eggs, flour, baking powder, vanilla and banana and mix again until smooth and all incorporated. You might need to add a few tsp of milk to get that smooth, dropping consistency.

Spoon into cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden on top.

Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

When cool, whip up that icing. Cream the butter, gradually beat in the icing sugar, then spoon in the caramel and salt and mix well. You might need to add a little more icing sugar to get a good piping consistency.