This month we’re eating down the pantry. What this means is that we are focusing on the ingredients we have in order to prepare meals and buying only what we need to supplement our stores.
I say “we” because the boys are responsible to cook one meal every night. Whoohoo!
Obviously, the success of a pantry challenge rests on what you normally keep in the pantry and what you’ve been stockpiling. Not all cupboards are created equal.
But, most of us have simple baking ingredients, a block of cream cheese, and some bananas that are about to go bad, right? We almost always have bananas ready to go off or stored in the freezer. These Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting are super-duper yummy. Love them!
They taste best chilled, so store them in the refrigerator before serving. If you’re on a Pantry Challenge, you should have room.
Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking papers.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine bananas, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and egg.
- In another mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Stir flour mixture into banana mixture in two additions, alternating with milk in between. Fold to blend well.
- Spoon into prepared baking cups and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until tester comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely on a rack.
- In another bowl whip together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla extract.
- Frost cooled cupcakes.
- Chill before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Emily
We just made these. Right after I slid them into the oven, I realized we forgot to add the oil! 🙁 Hopefully the bananas provide enough moisture to keep them from being too dry. And if not, frosting covers a multitude of culinary sins.
Jessica Fisher
You will probably be fine, especially with the frosting.
Emily
They are sticking to the wrappers, but fine other than that. But I think I’ll freeze that batch, call them muffins and save them for my kids. 🙂 I’ll make another batch (with oil. And frosting) for tomorrow.
Elizabeth Kane
These look amazing. I can’t resist a good cupcake 🙂
Tiffani Taff
Those look so adorable and delish! I linked up, this is my first time linking to this linky… hope I did it right. Thanks for the opportunity!
Jillian Kay
Those look great! And I do have all the ingredients on hand so it fits well with the pantry challenge.
Jennifer Blacker
Thank you for hosting. I shared my cinnamon swirl bread. You can always add raisins if you like them. This is a quick bread that you can make in the morning for breakfast.