Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes

Confession:

I baked.

It rarely happens, so I definitely had to document it.

See, I'm not really a fan of baking because I feel like it tries my patience and limits my creativity. You know, with all those exact measurements being necessary and such. And since I don't bake much I feel like I have to follow recipes exactly so I don't mess them up. Summary: My "a little of this, a little of that" attitude towards cooking doesn't translate well to the baking world.

Anyway, I found this recipe, and it sounded wonderful - especially with the marshmallow cream frosting. Because marshmallow cream is awesome.

Unfortunately they weren't the little bundle of deliciousness I had hoped for...they came out more of a dense, muffin consistency as opposed to a light and fluffy cupcake, and the frosting was really a disappointment because the cream cheese totally overwhelmed the marshmallow cream.

But, the cupcakes themselves were yummy; you really got both the peanut butter and the banana flavor which is a fantastic combination. So, I may make them again (and you should try them too), I just may forget the frosting and just call them muffins.

Peanut Butter and Banana Cupcakes with Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting

from Sugar Plum

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. creamy natural peanut butter

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup finely mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup milk

For the frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup marshmallow cream

1/3 cup milk chocolate chips, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with wrappers (I ended being able to make about 16).

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together peanut butter, butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla, eggs and banana until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in flour mixture gradually, alternating with milk, until well combined.

4. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool for 15 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the frosting: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in butter until well combined. Beat in marshmallow cream until well combined. Spread frosting on cupcakes. Drizzle with melted chocolate chips.