Banana cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Banana cupcakes taste even better with a cinnamon flavored cream cheese frosting. Use a star frosting decorating tip for a pretty, finished look.

Being still so enamored with my new large star frosting decorating tip and having bananas over-ripening on the counter this recipe for banana cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting was the perfect answer to unite both.

This is a fairly straightforward, standard cupcake recipe. It wasn't as soft and fluffy as I had hoped but I wonder if that's because I baked them a little too long or a bit too short. Cupcakes are not my realm of expertise so I regularly miss the mark. If you don't bake them long enough, they can be dense. If you bake them too long, they're dry. These weren't quite dry but they weren't as moist as I had wanted.

The taste was good though and I like the pairing with the cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Since I'm not a super fan of cream cheese, the cinnamon not only adds more flavor but mutes the tang of the cream cheese. And really, I just wanted to play with piping frosting with the decorating tip.

Banana cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting
Adapted from Lil' Luna

4 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (from 3-4 mashed bananas)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups cake flour (all-purpose flour can also be substituted)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
 
 For the frosting:
 6 tablespoons butter, softened
 4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
 2 cups powdered sugar (more as needed)
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then set aside.

3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas, egg yolks, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Gently fold in 1/3 of the egg white mixture.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in remaining egg whites.

5. Fill paper baking cups half full and bake 11-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely.

6. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon.

7. If necessary, add more powdered sugar until the frosting is firm enough to hold its shape but still light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

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