Banana Pecan Spice Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting

My Iron Cupcake entry for this month is Banana Pecan Spice mini-cupcakes with white chocolate chips and a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. The required ingredient of the month is nuts/seeds.

I had a ginormous craving for banana cake. Bananas are one of nature’s most perfect fruits. Did you know a banana grows into a flower if it doesn’t get picked at the right time? Go say high to my friend Tyler of Raspberry Runner, she has a cool picture of one from her trip to Costa Rica. Anywhoo…

These are melt-in your mouth delicious and the aroma of them will drive you wild. There’s nothing like the irresistible smell of bananas and warm apple pie spices. Each and every bite is loaded with soft white chocolate, crunchy pecans, luscious cream-cheese frosting and a cinnamon-spicy banana flavor. The cream cheese frosting complements the cupcakes flavors perfectly. The icing on the cake! Truly.

And another reason why I like mini cuppies? There’s the perfect ratio of frosting to cake. With the big cupcakes there’s not always enough frosting. I like each bite to have some. Especially when it’s cream cheese.

Little bites of decadent divinity.

Banana Pecan Spice Mini-Cuppie Cakes

(by Reeni)(makes about 28 mini’s or 14 regular size)

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

¾ cup sugar

1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

½ cup milk

1 cup banana, smashed (about 3 ripe)

1 cup white chocolate chips

½ cup chopped Pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place paper liner in a 12-cup cupcake pan or mini-muffin cups in a 24-cup pan.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together in a small bowl until combined; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer set on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy (about two minutes). Add sugar gradually, beat until light and fluffy for two more minutes. Beat in vanilla extract.

4. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down after each addition. Add the flour mixture in four additions, alternating with milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture and beat until smooth on low-medium speed after each addition. Beat in banana just until incorporated. Stir in pecans and chips. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

5. Bake 18-20 minutes for regular size muffins or 14-15 minutes for minis, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. A crumb or two on the toothpick is fine.

6. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes than remove to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2-2 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1-2 tablespoons Milk

1. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy, about two minutes.

2. Add butter and beat another minute. Add vanilla extract and cinnamon, beat in.

3. Add confectioners ½ cup at a time. Add in a tablespoon milk. Add sugar and milk in small amounts, beating in between until you get the right consistency. Beat an additional two – three minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.

Print Recipe

The March ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

-A Bunnycake Easter Plushie by DOGBONEART
-A whimsical piece by CAKEASAURUS
-as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES
-a collection of all new printed cupcake liners, 200 in all from Sweet Cuppin’ Cakes Cupcakery
-PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice – sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers:

-HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS
-HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and
Alan Richardson
-JESSIE STEELE APRONS
-the CUPCAKE COURIER
-TASTE OF HOME books

Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers.

If you would like to join in the fun of Iron Cupcake: Earth, a monthly event with an abundance of wonderful prizes everything you need to know can be found at the Iron Cupcake:Earth cuphub.