Recipe Review - Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream

So the other day there were two bananas sitting on my counter on their last leg. I mean these babies were not going to last another day. I started to make my usual banana bread recipe that is my go to for perishing bananas, but decided I wanted to try something different. I did a few searches on the internet and toyed around with a couple of ideas. Then I saw the latest issue of Southern Living sitting on the kitchen table and thought to myself "what if there is a nice banana recipe in there, how cool would that be". So I open it up and it almost immediately went to the page containing these treats.

Now, I did not have exactly all of the ingredients called for, but I didn't have the luxury of waiting until I got them (remember bananas perishing on the counter) so I pressed forward. Let's face it, I like to be rebel sometimes anyway.

They didn't turn out looking anywhere near as lovely as the photos in the magazine, but then again I never really expect my food to turn out looking like food that has a staff of stylists working on it. I could look that good if I had stylists working on me every day, but that's another story.

Overall, they turned out pretty well (I'd give them 3 stars) even with the substitutions I made so I imagine using the actual ingredients it calls for they'd be great! But who has time for such nonsense as that when languishing bananas are at stake HA! I noted below where I exchanged ingredients and what I used in it's place. I just love Southern Living Magazine. I feel like I could cook anything when I read their recipes.

Original recipe from Southern Living September 2016:

Ingredients 

BANANA CREAM FILLING

1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana (about 2 small)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (all I had was the good ole bottled variety)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons heavy cream (none of this either so I just used milk and it was only 2% at that)

CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/8 oz.) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (4 oz.) salted butter, softened

1/4 cup whole milk (again only had 2%)

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM

6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup salted butter, softened

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon table salt

3 cups (about 12 oz.) powdered sugar

3 to 4 Tbsp. heavy cream (2% milk here again too)

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (I used some chocolate chips I had on hand, but that really didn't work. Get the good melting chocolate!)

Preparation

1. Prepare the Banana Cream Filling: Stir together banana and lemon juice in a small bowl. Beat 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 3 ounces cream cheese, and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the banana-lemon mixture, reserving the remaining 3/4 cup banana-lemon mixture for the batter.

2. Prepare the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place baking cup liners in a 12-cup muffin pan; lightly coat liners with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed in a large bowl until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add milk, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat at low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture may look curdled.) Gradually add flour mixture, beating at medium-low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir reserved 3/4 cup banana-lemon mixture into batter.

3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon cupcake batter into each muffin cup; top evenly with Banana Cream Filling. Top evenly with remaining cupcake batter, and bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown and cupcakes spring back when lightly touched, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes to a wire rack, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. Prepare the Peanut Butter Buttercream: Beat peanut butter, 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons cream cheese, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl at medium-low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups powdered sugar alternately with 3 tablespoons of the cream, beating at low speed until smooth after each addition. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed, to reach desired consistency. Spoon frosting into a ziplock plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe about 3 tablespoons buttercream onto each cupcake. Drizzle melted chocolate evenly over buttercream.