If you have some very ripe bananas hanging about, then do I have the recipe for you. These Chocolate and Banana Cupcakes are so light, buttery, and moist that you’ll find yourself hovering over the bananas, counting the seconds until they’re just ripe enough to make a new batch.
I have adapted this recipe from the book, Cupcakes from the Primose Bakery, by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas, (Kyle Cathie Ltd, 2009). Swift and Thomas opened The Primose Bakery in Primrose Hill, London, England in 2006. The bakery quickly became known for its delectable cupcakes and other small-batch homemade sweets. The bakery is still going strong today and I hope to visit it on my next trip to London.
As with most baking, the real key to these cupcakes is to use the best ingredients you can find. I used Lindt dark chocolate, (70% cocoa solids), in my version because it’s one of my favourite chocolates to eat on its own. I encourage you to use the chocolate that makes your mouth sing! Perhaps you prefer milk chocolate, or semi-sweet. Go with the one that appeals to you.
You’ll also want to make sure that your bananas are very ripe for this recipe. Not only do the ripe bananas lend a sweetness to the cupcakes, they also add a lot of moisture to the batter, which helps to ensure the finished cakes are not dry.
The preparation is not overly onerous for this recipe, and you can choose to make the batter with an electric mixer or by hand. The only thing that will take a bit of elbow grease, if you’re mixing it by hand, is the creaming of the butter and sugar together. It is; however, doable and a bit of kitchen cardio isn’t always a bad thing!
I like to frost these cakes with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting. It’s a fudgy frosting with a slight tang from the sour cream and it pairs perfectly with the banana sponge. Of course, you could choose not to frost them at all and eat them plain with a cup of tea or for a breakfast treat.
I made a batch of these chocolate and banana cupcakes on the weekend and Sam and I managed to restrain ourselves by only eating one each. I think for our heroic strength, we should reward ourselves with just one more of these little beauties, don’t you think?
Head over to my Books page to read my recommendation of Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery.
If you have more bananas to use up, try my Oatmeal Banana Blueberry Muffins!
Julianne’s Notes
How ripe should the bananas be?
For baking purposes, I like my bananas to be heavily spotted with black all over the peel. You can wait until they are completely black, but I usually don’t have the patience for that! You want to make sure that the peel is not yellow, but well on its way to the over-ripened stage.
I don’t like dark chocolate. Can I substitute a different chocolate?
Absolutely. Any time you are stirring in ‘add-ins’ to a cake or muffin, feel free to throw in what you like. Let your creative juices flow!
My cupcakes are flat. What happened?
Make sure that you are measuring your ingredients precisely. If you skimp out on the levening agent, then you could have flat cupcakes on your hands.
You’ll also want to check the age of your leavening agent (baking soda/baking powder). It’s a good idea to swap out these packages every few months to make sure that you are using fresh ingredients.
You can test the freshness of your baking soda/powder by adding some to a small bowl of vinegar. If it bubbles, then you’re in business. Your baking soda/powder is still active.
Another important thing to remember is to never open the door while your cupcakes are baking. I know it’s extremely tempting to peak in to see the magic that’s happening inside, but try to avoid doing so. When you open the door, cool air rushes into the oven which reduces the temperature and won’t allow your cakes to get the rise that you want.
How should I store these cupcakes?
Chocolate and Banana Cupcakes are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not put in the fridge, as this will cause them to dry out.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it! Share it on Instagram: #bakersbookshelf
Chocolate and Banana Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chunks, (70% cocoa solids)
To Decorate
- 1 batch Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
- chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).
- Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper liners. I use the large size.
- With an electric mixer, (either stand mixer, or handheld), cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. I usually put it on medium speed for this purpose. You want to continue to mix until the butter and sugar have combined and are light, fluffy and pale yellow in colour. This will take about 3 – 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the sugar/butter mix and beat again until combined.
- Add the flour and baking soda and stir until just combined.
- Lastly, pour in the mashed banana and the chocolate chunks and stir lightly with a wooden spoon.
- Fill the muffin cups until almost full. You can use a spoon or an ice cream scoop.
- Bake the cupcakes in the oven for about 25 minutes.
- The cupcakes are done when they have risen and they are slightly golden on top. A toothpick inserted into the centre of the cupcake will come out clean.
- Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 15 minutes or so then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting.
Notes
Kelly says
These seem so easy to make. I’m going to give this a go today! Thanks for this great recipe!
Julianne Simpson says
Thanks, Kelly! I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Rebecca Hofstetter says
Mmm I have some bananas that I need to use up and these look delicious! I’ve never thought of making a banana cupcake before, but that frosting looks sooo good.
Julianne Simpson says
I hope you enjoy, Rebecca!
Amy says
Hi Julianne! Great blog. I really like your helpful tips! Any advice for getting the cupcake wrappers to come off easily from the cupcake or muffin?
Julianne Simpson says
Thanks, Amy! I hope you have a chance to try some of the recipes. I know how annoying it can be when half of your cupcake sticks to the wrapper! You could try one of the following couple of tricks:
Make sure you only let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so and then remove them to cool completely on a wire rack. If you leave them in longer, the residual heat can cause the papers to stick.
Also, if you can, wait until they are completely cooled before eating. The cupcakes tend to shrink a tiny bit once they’re completely cooled and start to pull away from the paper ever so slightly.
Lastly, when I’m working with a batter that I know always sticks to my wrappers, I give them a light spray with a non-stick cooking spray. This spray helps the cupcakes to release easily from the paper once they are baked. I also love using cooking spray to coat the inside of my cake and loaf tins. It’s much easier and less messy than butter.
Hope that helps! Let me know how you get on 🙂
Happy baking!
Julianne
Amy says
Thanks for these great tips, Julianne! It seems my eagerness to taste my baked treats caused the issues. I will practice more restraint with the next batch. 🙂
Julianne Simpson says
Haha I’m the same, Amy! It’s torture to wait sometimes 🙂