Chocolate and Banana Cupcakes.

Simple yet delicious. Childhood memories come afloat when I taste chocolate and banana. It is an awesome combination and those who don't like it are plain fools!
So, with my heating broken, I have decided to do some baking... Baking of cupcakes! Maybe the oven will keep me warm.
Definitely the best recipe book for these type of things is the Primrose Bakery Book, it has definitely gained the status of cupcake Bible.

Here is the recipe, but be sure to always follow the instructions. I believe that cupcake baking can be very creative and fun, but the key is to always follow the recipe, or you might end up with Flubber instead of a cupcake. Trust me, I've been there. Experimentation is not the way to go with this...


To make 12 regular cupcakes you will need:


125g unsalted butter at room temperature
250g caster sugar
2 eggs free range lightly beaten
1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract
250g plain flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 riped bananas mashed with a fork
175g good-quality dark chocolate. Preferably 70% cocoa solid, broken into small pieces

To decorate and make the chocolate buttercream icing you will need:

Chopped walnuts
175g good-quality dark chocolate (70%)
225g unsalted butter, room temperature
1tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract
250g icing sugar, sifted


Ok, so now that all the ingredients are on the table it's time to start preparing them wooo!!

Preheat the oven to 160C(fan)/180C/350F/gas mark 4. (wow, so many conversions)..
 Line a 12 hole muffin tray with the appropriate size cupcake cases.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar, until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3-5min using an electric hand mixer.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat again briefly. Add the flour and baking powder and beat again until well combined. Stir in the mashed bananas and chocolate pieces using a wooden spoon.

Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two thirds full. Only two thirds!!!

Bake in the oven for about 25 min. To check if they are cooked use the old trick of inserting a skewer in the MIDDLE of the cakes. The skewer is meant to come out clean!!!

Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool.
So, I don't have a wire rack because I am not obsessed with baking, I mean I can hardly fit half of my cutlery and plates in my kitchen! Just use a flat surface... don't panic!
Once the cupcakes have cooled off we can start with the icing!

To make the icing start by melting the chocolate in a bowl or plastic jug in the microwave until it's smooth and of thick consistency. Maybe 30 second intervals, stirring in between might be the best technique to obtain the perfect consistency and avoid burning the choc. Leave to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla and icing sugar until smooth. This might take a while, but patience is a key quality in any good baker. Add the melted chocolate and beat again until thick and creamy. If it looks too runny when it comes to icing the cupcakes, just keep beating, this can only improve the consistency.

Yes, now you can lick the spoon!

Add the walnuts on top of each cupcake to give them that 'Primrose look'.

So there you go, easy, effortless and it has chocolate in it.

Chocolate Banana cupcake

Kudos Primrose Bakery! Now I can eat my cupcakes by the fireplace! yep yeppp xx