Banana Cupcakes

I'm always looking for new recipes for bananas. Whenever I buy a bunch there always seems to be one that doesn't get eaten before it starts to brown and neither me or my husband like bananas with any spots on them :p  so I put that banana in the freezer and after awhile I have a freezer full of ripe bananas. That's usually my signal that I need to bake. Stumbled upon this beaut of a recipe and made it last night. OMG the smell coming out of my oven was worth it enough to make them, then the peanut butter frosting just added that touch of awesomeness! So I'm sharing it with you!

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cup ripe banana, mashed

Preheat oven to 350* F
Cream butter and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy
Add eggs and vanilla and mix until batter is smooth
Combine all dry ingredients and mix into batter in 3 parts, alternating with buttermilk
Reduce speed to low and mix for 2 min
Using a spatula, gently fold mashed bananas into batter
Scoop into lined cupcake pan until cups are 3/4 full
Bake for 25min and let cool on wire racks
Makes 18 cupcakes

Peanut Butter Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp milk

Cream together first 3 ingredients, add peanut butter and milk and mix until smooth
Frost to your hearts content!!

*Helpful Hints!!
Your butter is frozen solid? Put in the microwave and nuke for 10 sec, turn, nuke 10 sec, turn, nuke 10 seconds, turn, nuke 10 seconds (get all four sides) Vwala! Perfectly smooth butter
Don't have butter milk? Get a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, add 1 tbsp white vinegar, add milk to the 1 cup line, wait 5-10 min until milk looks curdled and stir, good buttermilk alternative in a pinch (this is what I used for my cupcakes and they turned out very delish in my book!!)

Sweet Heart Cupcakes

Gotta love cupcakes on Valentine's Day. This little recipe is easy and yummy, plus people are surprised when they bite in. There are so many different toppings you could add; M&M's, pick candy corn, candy hearts; my favorite was the decorated oreos. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 40 Minutes Servings: 24

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix 1 1/4 cups water 1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 egg whites 8 drops red food coloring 2 drops raspberry candy oil

Directions:

1.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a standard muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
2.	Beat the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and egg whites together on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes, until smooth. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with white batter; set aside.
3.	Stir 4 drops of red food coloring into the remaining bowl of batter to make the batter pink, stir in the raspberry oil. Pour 1/2 of pink batter into a resealable plastic bag and set aside.
4.	Mix more food coloring into the remaining bowl of pink batter until it is an orange/red color and pour the batter into a resealable plastic bag. Cut a corner off the bag, stick the open tip into the center of each cup of white batter and squeeze in about two tablespoons of red batter.
5.	Cut the corner off the bag with the pink batter, stick the open tip into the center of the red batter and squeeze about 1 tablespoon pink batter into each cup.
6.	Bake the layered cupcakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting. Top with your favorite frosting and decorate.