1st Birthday Cupcakes

    I baked two different kinds of cupcakes for Ethan's party; Peanut Butter & Banana and Oreo Crumb Cupcakes.  I started out looking for a recipe for banana cupcakes because I thought it would be cute with the sock monkey theme. I found the perfect recipe at Annie's Eats.  The cupcakes were light and fluffy, not too dense like a lot of banana cake recipes. Although the caramel icing sounded delicious, I was hooked on the idea of peanut butter icing. Peanut butter and bananas is one of my all time favorite combos. So I began my search for a delicious sounding peanut butter icing. My journey ended with Lick The Bowl Good 's peanut butter cream cheese icing. MmmmMmm good!

    I needed an alternative to the banana cupcakes for anyone who wasn't excited by the thought of creamy peanut butter atop a fluffy banana pillow. Who the heck wouldn't be interested in something so wonderfully delicious, you ask? The only person I can think if is my Daddy whose throat closes up at the mere thought of eating a banana. But one thing he does love is OREOs!! And what better counterpart to my light and fruity banana peanut butter cupcakes, than the rich and chocolaty Oreo crumb cupcakes from Your Cup of Cake. Nothing I tell ya, NOTHING!!
     

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing
(makes 24 cupcakes)



  
For the cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp buttermilk
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana

For the icing:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cupcake pans with liners. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk. Using either a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar, on med-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to med-low and add eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Mix in mashed banana until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add in the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and mixing until just combined.
Fill liners 2/3 to 3/4 full and bake 20-22 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, the transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

For the icing; cream the butter, peanut butter and cream cheese together with a mixer on low speed. Beat until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Add the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, blending on low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down sides and beat the mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy.

When cupcakes are completely cool, spread or pipe about 2 tablespoons icing onto each cupcake.




Oreo Crumb Cupcakes
(makes 24 cupcakes)



For the cupcakes:

24 tsp oreo crumbs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

3 eggs

Devil's food cake mix

For the icing:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter. softened

oreo cream from cookies

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp heavy cream

I cup oreo crumbs, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners. Separate about 24 Oreos and scrape out the cream, put aside. Place cookies in food processor and pulse until well crushed, sift oreo crumbs. Set aside one cup sifted oreo crumbs for the buttercream. Combine the remaining sifted crumbs and the larger pieces. Place 1 teaspoon oreo crumbs in the bottom of each liner.

In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir well between each addition, being careful not to beat the eggs. Slowly add devil's food cake mix while stirring, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Fill cupcake liners ( with cookie crumbs on bottom) 3/4 full and bake for 13-18 minutes. The top should spring back when touched. Place in airtight containers while they cool to seal in moisture.

For the buttercream, beat cream cheese, butter, and oreo cream centers for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla, powdered sugar,  and heavy cream and beat again.

Stir in cookie crumbs and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.



Enjoy!!