Banana Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

'Ooohhh are those cupcakes?!' This is generally what people say around these little individual cups are delishness.

This recipe makes really soft, fluffy airy cakes and the Vanilla Buttercream is awesome-my favourite recipe.

Come on get yo' bake on!

Yum Cupped Cakes :)



Ingredients:
Makes 12
Adapted from 'Cupcakes From The Primose Bakery'
125g Unsalted Butter, soft
250g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
250g Plain Flour, sifted
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
4 Ripe Bananas, Mashed
175g Good Quality(30%-70% cocoa solids) Plain/Milk Chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 Quantity Vanilla Buttercream-see below

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 Degrees Celsius and line a twelve holed cupcake tray with cupcake cases.
2. Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and smooth-about 5 minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at time along with the vanilla essence. If necessary scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder together, then add to the egg mixture. Stir until combined.
5. Add the mashed banana and the chocolate chips. The mixture should resemble cookie dough.
6. Scoop the mixture into the cases FILLING NO MORE THE THREE THIRDS OF THE WAY UP!!
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes in then, then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Once cooled-ice these little beauties!

Vanilla Buttercream:
Ices 15ish Cupcakes
Ingredients:
100g Unsalted Butter, soft
60ml Milk, room temperature
2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
500g Icing Sugar, sieved twice

Method.
*Just to have a really smooth Buttercream I always sieve Icing Sugar twice*
1. In a food processor beat the butter, milk, extract and 250g of icing sugar until smooth-about 7 minutes.
2. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar until smooth.