Mini Dark Chocolate Banana Cupcakes Recipes

CHOCOLATE BANANA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Combine all the banana curd ingredients EXCEPT butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until fully combined. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan set over medium heat and add the butter.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon-do not boil. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a mixing bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the top of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. (You may need to use a spatula to press the curd through the sieve.)
• Cool curd to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled (about 2 hours). Can be made up to 3 days ahead.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 20 to 22 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.
• Whisk the coffee (or wateand cocoa powder in a small mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together into a second mixing bowl and set aside.
• Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer set to high speed. Continue beating on high until mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed-this will take about 5 minutes.
• Turn mixer to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Divide batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
• Cool cupcakes completely in pan for 20 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.
• Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until very smooth. Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, the cocoa powder, 6 tablespoons milk, and salt and beat to combine.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then turn mixer to medium and beat for a minute or two, until frosting is smooth. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin and additional milk if frosting is too thick.
• Use a small paring knife to cut a hole about 1 inch across and 1 inch deep in each cupcake. Reserve the cake you cut out of the holes.
• Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons of banana curd into each cupcake. Trim the cake you removed from the holes so it will fit over the filling as a sort of plug, then replace the plug in the hole.
• Spread or pipe the chocolate frosting over each cupcake, then top slice of banana if desired. Serve.

MARI'S BANANA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease 14 muffin cups.
• Lightly beat bananas and white sugar together in a bowl until smooth; add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in vegetable oil until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in flour, baking soda, and buttermilk; mix well. Fold in pecans. Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle cupcakes with confectioners' sugar.

BANANA-CHIP MINI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine muffin mix, water, sour cream and egg; stir just until moistened. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. , Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a microwave, melt shortening and remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Frost cupcakes.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MINI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• This recipe makes about 50 to 60 miniature cupcakes.
• Line miniature muffin tins with liners (I purchase the mini liners at a craft store that carries cake supplies).
• Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a bowl and blend.
• Cream butter thoroughly, until very soft. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat for a minute or two. Beat in coffee mixture and vanilla.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
• At low speed, add dry ingredients in three equal additions and milk in two equal additions. In other words, add one third of the dry mixture, then half of the milk, then another one third of the dry ingredients, followed by the rest of the milk, and then the last of the dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl as needed. The mixture is about the consistency of a thick pudding.
• Stir in the miniature chocolate chips. Pour batter into cups. I fill them pretty close to the top; when they bake, they come over and make a mushroom shape, which is how I like them. If you prefer smaller, then fill accordingly. I have found that using a cookie scoop (looks like a small ice cream scoop, it's for cookie dough) works well to fill the muffin cups without too much mess.
• Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely.
• For glaze, put chocolate, butter and cream in top of a double boiler (I just use two pots). Use low heat and stir until mixture is smooth. The glaze doesn't look very chocolate-like until right at the end. Stir completely to make as smooth as possible. Remove from heat and let the glaze cool for five minutes. Spoon glaze on each cupcake and swirl. A miniature rubber spatula works well. The glaze is very shiny, but becomes more fudge-like as it cools.
• Each time I make this recipe, I have glaze left over; you probably could cut it by one fourth, but I've never wanted to take a chance on not having enough. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, the glaze left in the pan is the cook's reward -- have a couple spoonsfuls when you're done!