Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting or Cream Cheese Frosting

I baked a batch of Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting today for our alumni homecoming meeting.



My friend, Jona, from New York shared her Banana Bread recipe with me.  I got the ganache frosting from the website of The Joy of Baking.

I was surprised it was very easy to make!

Banana Cupcakes



2 C. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt (if using unsalted butter)
1/2 C. butter
3/4 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/3 C ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line the cupcake pans with paper.
Combine and sift the flour, baking soda and salt.
Cream butter and brown sugar.
Add eggs one at a time, then the ripe bananas.
Blend in the flour and stir.
Scoop into the paper liner until 1/2 or 2/3 full only.  Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.  Cool before frosting.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

180 ml. Nestle heavy cream in can
227 grams Bittersweet Belgian Chocolate

Chop the chocolate into small pieces.  Put in a bowl.

Heat the cream until it boils.  Pour over the chocolate pieces.  Let it stand for about 3 minutes then stir SLOWLY.  Cool then refrigerate, overnight if possible.



  Using the whip attachment of the mixer, whip the chocolate ganache until aerated.  Pipe on top of the cupcakes and chill until ready to serve.



Voila!  Baking as easy as 1-2-3!

You can also use Cream Cheese Frosting

 Cream Cheese Frosting

1 bar Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/4 C. butter, softened
1 C. powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 C. all purpose cream

Whip butter and cream cheese.  Add the sugar, continue whipping.  Slowly add the cream  Beat at high speed for a minute.

This is frosting is for spreading, not for piping.