Banana-Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

I've had an inkling to make banana cupcakes ever since my last batch of bananas went bad and found their way to the trash. Since I was out of town all last week I finally had the chance to whip these babies up. When hubs asked why I was making cupcakes at 9:00 on a Saturday morning I simply replied, 'cause I felt like it'. Ummmm....when did I become the chick that 'felt like' whipping anything up early in the morning??? I mean, for real, I used to sleep until noon. :::sigh:::

So all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed I ventured into modifying my devils food cake box into a choc-banana masterpiece. And the only thing that could top the cake is the yummy fantastic out of this world peanut butter icing. On the real - I might just scoop the icing off and eat it off all of the cupcakes. Maybe I already have....you'll neeeever know!

Chocolate Banana Cake:

• 1 box devils food cake mix 
• 1/3 cup oil 
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

{did you notice that water is not on that list? No, I didn't mess up - the bananas will take it's place}

Heavenly Peanut Butter Icing

• 1 stick of buttah (that's butter, not margarine - you can use it but it will be a little more oily)
• 1 cup quality peanut butter (better quality = better taste)
• 2 cups powder sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 - 3 tbsp heavy cream or milk

To Make the Batter:

1. Prepare the cake mix as normal subbing the ingredients and amounts as listed above

2. Put the cake ingredients together in your mixer and mix it up!

Note, your batter will be a little thick - more like a brownie batter - this is ok! Remember, there's no water in there yet!

3. Meanwhile, mash your bananas with the back of a fork

4. Add the mashed bananas to the batter - this will thin it out and make it more like a regular cake batter 

5. Pour your batter into your cupcake liners. I use a small ice cream scoop to make sure they are all even

6. Place pans in 350 degree oven and bake for about 15 minutes - these bake quicker than normal so make sure to check them. Insert a toothpick to check for doneness, if it comes out clean then they are done. 

:::naked cupcakes:::

To Make the Icing:

1. Cream the butter and peanut butter together in your mixing bowl

2. Add the sugar and cream

3. Whip, whip, whip with your mixer. 

Once baked I thought that they needed a little extra umph so I piped some of the frosting down the center of the cupcakes. Moist? You betcha.

Then I thought it needed something else so I melted some chocolate icing and dipped the tops. It's kind of like a ganache but not as thick.

I then piped the PB icing on top and voila, heaven in a paper cup. 

Excuse me while I go eat my first second oh forget it, who's counting?? 

{maybe my jeans are....}