Shindig 411

Cupcakes cure all! That’s the motto here at Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets. Birthdays provide the perfect excuse to whip up a batch. Don’t know anybody who’s having a birthday? No problem. Let your bananas get a little overripe and you too will have the perfect excuse to make these beauties.

BIRTHDAY BANANA CUPCAKES

I tinted the icing with a drop of red food coloring because the birthday girl loves pink, but leave the icing white and garnish with a slice of banana for a more traditional look.

(Makes 16 cupcakes)

Ingredients

 2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups sugar

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and butter until well combined. Beat in eggs, mashed banana and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture; then beat in buttermilk. Scrape the batter into the muffin tins, filling each ¾ full.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in the tins for 5 minutes; then move to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Using an electric mixer, beat one 8-ounce package of room-temperature cream cheese and ½ stick of room-temperature unsalted butter until light and fluffy. With mixer on low speed, beat in 1 cup confectioners’ sugar a few tablespoons at a time, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract; increase speed to high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to one week. Bring to room temperature before using. Makes about 1½ cups.

FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS