Banana Pudding Cupcakes
ingredients
Banana Cake:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Paper baking cups
Vegetable cooking spray
Fresh Banana Curd:
4 large ripe bananas, peeled
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
Fresh Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups whipping cream, chilled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
Toppings:
Vanilla wafers
Fresh banana slices
preparation
Prepare Banana Cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine bananas and lemon juice in a small bowl; set aside. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla and reserved banana mixture. Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.
Fill each cupcake with Fresh Banana Curd. To prepare curd, mash bananas in a large bowl with a fork until creamy. Combine mashed banana and remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. (Do not boil.) Cool completely. Makes 2 cups.
Pipe 2 tablespoons fresh whipped cream onto each cupcake using metal tip no. 12. To prepare whipped cream, beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Makes 3 cups.
Top with 1 vanilla wafer and 1 banana slice just before serving.
