and for Dessert...

I was going to make banana bread, but my husband ate one of the bananas!  So, I decided to come up with a banana cake and make a favorite dessert...Cupcakes.

One of my favorite songs from 1964 was "The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis.  I remember going around singing the rhyming song using names of my family and friends.  If you don't remember it, it goes something like this...

Marsha, Marsha, bo-barsha
Banana-fana fo-farsha
Fee-fi-mo-arsha
Marsha!

I introduced my girls to this song by singing their names and, well, Kelly's stuck to the point I would refer to her as Kelly-Kelly, bo-belly as a term of endearment.  However, once when I telephoned her one morning when she was in grad school in Colorado, her roommate, Christina answered the phone and because I couldn't tell these two California girls apart by their voice, I said, "Good morning Kelly Belly!"  Kelly was mortified that I had let out the name I called her at home!  She eventually came around and it was made us laugh!

I'm sharing this story because I'm calling these cupcakes Banana-Fana Cupcakes...because it still makes me smile.

Banana-Fana Cupcakes

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

1 very ripe banana, mashed

3 large eggs

1 tsp. Banana flavoring

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

3 Cups All-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Prepare muffin tins with paper liners.

In a KitchenAid (or a bowl using a hand mixer)  and the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.  Mix in sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add the banana and flavorings and mix again.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Sift the flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix the sour cream in the milk.  Add the flour and milk mixture alternately, ending with a flour addition.  Mix well.  Use a one-third size scoop to place batter in the paper liners.  Bake 22-27 minutes or until golden brown and when you touch the tops, they spring back.

Frosting

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 

4-5 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp. Banana Flavoring

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2-3 T heavy cream

2-3 drops of yellow food coloring

Dried Banana Chips

In the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.  Add the 4 cups of confectioners' sugar and beat.  Add the flavoring and extract and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.  Beat until fluffy.  Add additional cream as needed.

Fill a pastry bag with a large round tip.  Pipe frosting on top.  

Add a banana chip on top... to let the recipient know what kind of cupcakes these are.  Enjoy!