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Moist Banana Cupcakes with Tangy Cream Cheese Frosting

A close-up shot of freshly baked banana cupcakes topped with thick, creamy white frosting, cooling on a wire rack.
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You can bake these incredibly moist banana cupcakes from scratch. This recipe uses ripe bananas to create a tender crumb, topped with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting that pairs perfectly with the sweet banana flavor. This is an easy, foolproof recipe great for potlucks or weekend baking.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 large)
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, for frosting
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened, for frosting
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for frosting

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
  3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  5. Add the mashed bananas and buttermilk to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  7. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
  8. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of softened butter until smooth.
  10. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture, beating until the frosting is creamy and smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk until you reach a spreadable consistency.
  11. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting onto each cupcake.

Notes

  • Use bananas that are heavily spotted or almost black for the best, sweetest banana flavor in your cupcakes.
  • For a richer flavor in the frosting, use brown butter instead of regular butter.
  • You can add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter for Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://juliameal.com/banana-cupcakes-moist-recipe-cream-cheese-frosting/