Banana Cupcakes with coconut and cherries

A few weeks back I was drooling over some cupcakes my friend Cakelaw, from Laws of the Kitchen made and the next day I decided to make some. I did not have exactly the ingredients so I used both plain flour and self raising flour and reduced the baking powder, I added orange essence as I was out of vanilla essence and added a little bit of extra sugar as I wanted to add 2 ripe bananas I had.

For the frosting the quantity of butter left was not enough, so I frosted half of them with white chocolate and to distinguish them, on top of the white chocolate I sprinkled some chocolate sprinkles and on the butter frosting some coconut. I decorated all of them with my cherry spoon sweet. I only have two muffin tins x 6 so the other quantity I lined two baking tins with parchment paper and baked them for an hour at 170 degrees.

They turned out great, the kids loved them especially those with the white chocolate. Although I avoid using butter often there are some things which I want to try at least once but these I will definitely make a lot of times.

I am submitting this recipe to Couture Cupcakes, who is hosting the event Best evah Cupcake Recipe, to support Cupcake Day for the RSPCA.

• 1 ½ cups sifted plain flour
  
• 1 ¼ cups of self rising flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
• 200 gr. butter, softened and cubed
• 2 cups sugar
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 1 tablespoon orange extract
  
• 2 ripe bananas
  
• 1 cup milk

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line muffin tins with paper muffin cases.

Cream the butter in an electric mixer so it is soft and pale, then beat in the sugar in 3 lots, and beat the mixture until the butter and sugar are fully combined. Beat in each egg and then finally beat in the orange essence.

Remove the batter from the mixer, and fold in the flour and milk alternately, starting and ending with flour. (If you prefer, you can use the mixer to do this on low speed.)

Divide the cupcake batter equally between the 24 muffin holes (I had only 12) and smooth over the tops. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until cooked through. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Frosting 1:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick – 2 oz. or 57 g) butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup of confectioners’ (icing) sugar, sifted
• 1-tablespoon milk
• ½ teaspoon of orange essence

Directions:

Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla.

Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Add up to 1 tablespoon more milk if the frosting seems too stiff.

Frosting 2

• 150 grams white chocolate, heated for 1 minute in the microwave with 1 teaspoon of butter. If chocolate has not melted, microwave for another minute and mix to incorporate.
  

• Spoon Sweet Cherries
• Coconut for sprinkling on top
• Chocolate sprinkles

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