Camp Cupcake: Roasted Banana Cupcakes

In the last couple of weeks, I have found myself cranking out cupcakes with a sense of urgency. I apologize for taking over the blog with them. I'm not sure urgency and cupcakes belong in the same sentence. However, I am in the home stretch of a lot of things, including this project, and, rather than pacing myself on this, I am trying to get it done quickly.

Also, I can think of lots of occasions that call for cupcakes. School is almost over. Classes are ending. Mother's Day and Cinco de Mayo are right around the corner. I have a lot of eggs in my fridge. I have bananas I need to use.

Doesn't it seem funny that we buy more bananas than we actually eat, and we are constantly looking for things to do with the leftover ones before they go bad? As human beings, we are weird.

I made these for my last practicum night. I believe I have resolved my issues over being liked by the people I supervise, but I made these anyway. I actually made this recipe twice. After I roasted the bananas, I mixed them in with the eggs before they were completely cool, and it changed the texture of the cupcakes considerably.

Roasted Banana Cupcakes

Makes 16

3 ripe bananas, plus 1 to 2 more for garnish (I only used one)

2 c. cake flour (not self-rising), sifted

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 c. sour cream

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Honey Cinnamon Frosting

Preheat oven to 400F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 3 whole unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and roast 15 minutes (the peels will darken). Meanwhile, sift together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Remove bananas from oven and let cool before peeling. Reduce oven temperature to 350F.

Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add roasted bananas and beat to combine. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of sour cream, and beating until just combined after each. Beat in vanilla.

In another mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold one-third of the whites in the batter to lighten. Gently fold remaining whites in two batches.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

To finish, fill a pastry bag with a medium French star tip (or, if you don't have a French star tip because you are not OCD, use a regular star tip, or just frost them with a knife) to pipe seven scallops around the perimeter of the cupcake and a large starburst in the center. Just before serving (if you do this too early, the bananas get kind of gross) thinly slice the remaining bananas and place 2 pieces on top of each cupcake.

Punch yourself in the face for following all of Martha's ridiculous directions for making what is, essentially, banana bread with honey butter.

Or don't.