Banana Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Bananas are the best fruit in the universe, in my humble opinion. They're super cheap and good for you, and when they go "bad" it's a good thing, because you can bake with them.  They're also very portable, requiring no package or bag, which is a somewhat random observation, but I appreciate it nonetheless. I eat a banana just about every single day, and have for a long time. 

It was the discovery of some bad/good bananas on my counter and the insatiable craving for something sweet that inspired me to make these cupcakes. It was a good score for passersby at our place this week too, because they all left with a couple cupcakes, and a giant smile on their face. 

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

-1 1/2 cup sugar

-2 1/2 cups flour

-1/2 cup butter

- 3 eggs

-1 1/2 cups bananas, overly ripe and mashed

-1/2 cup milk

-1 t. vanilla

-1 t. cinnamon

- 1 t, baking soda

-1 t. salt

-1 cup chocolate chips

Directions: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray lined muffin or cupcake pan with cooking spray. In stand mixer mix sugar and butter, then stir in eggs. Add banana, milk and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in mixed dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chips and spoon evenly into cups. bake 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting

- 8 o.z. softened cream cheese

-1 stick butter

-1 cup powdered sugar

-1 t. vanilla

Directions: With electric hand mixer or stand mixer whisk cream cheese and butter at a medium speed together  until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Stop mixer and add sifted powdered sugar and vanilla and beat another few minutes until fluffy and light. Spread on cooled cupcakes and garnish with banana slices and chocolate chips. 

*if garnishing ahead of time use banana chips or put a dot of lemon juice on the banana slices to keep them fresh looking.

These are best made a day ahead of serving to let the flavors mix up and then frosting.

I used to make cupcakes all the time, and these made me  realize how much I missed them. They seem to make everyone who encountered them unbelievably happy, including me. And they always remind me of a memorable time at day care as a child where we got our first cupcakes for someone's Birthday, and getting into a heated debate with one of my fellow youngsters about whether or not you were supposed to eat the wrapper. I was the one saying not to eat it, I hope you'd guessed. Enjoy!!