Chocolate Banana Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 36 cupcakes

Chocolate Banana Cupcake
Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, taken out of the fridge same time as butter
2 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 6 medium)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Method
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using paddle attachment beat butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar and beat at high until well blended, about 2 minutes. At medium speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract and mix at low speed until blended. Add the flour mixture at low speed in three additions, alternating it with the sour cream in two additions. Avoid overmixing by using a spatula to mix the batter at the end.

Scoop mixture into lined cupcake tins. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until done. Allow to cool in tins for 5 minutes. Then remove from tins and cool on a rack. Do not frost until cupcakes are completely cooled.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Makes enough to frost 36 cupcakes

1 cup of butter, softened
8 oz of cream cheese, softened
3-5 cups of confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method
In a large mixing bowl, mix butter until it is softened and uniform. Add cream cheese and beat together until it is uniform. Add 3 cups of sugar to the mixture and mix. Add vanilla extract. Add more sugar if necessary. Mix again until mixture is creamy and spreadable. Add more sugar if necessary, otherwise prepare to frost cake.

Source: Week of Menus
http://weekofmenus.blogspot.com/2012/02/chocolate-banana-cupcake-with-cream.html