Tag Archives: food

The other night, my roommate probably thought I was crazy. 

Last week, I moved into a new apartment here in Winston-Salem, NC. I’m thrilled to finally have a room to myself, a big bed, a shower sans the necessity of shower shoes, but most importantly, I’m ecstatic about my kitchen. It’s nothing special by any means, no super cool gadgets or infinite counter space. The best part is simply having a space to call my own; a kitchen to get completely lost in, whenever and however I want.

A few nights ago, after long and strenuous days of unpacking, I was dying to get to baking as soon as physically possible. I wanted something that reminded me of home - something warm and comforting that would easily satisfy my sweet tooth.

When the thought of banana cupcakes crossed my mind, I shot out of my seat like a rocket headed for the moon. I immediately began gathering ingredients until a horrific realization crossed my mind: I was lacking cream cheese. Have no fear - I still had at least an hour left until the grocery store closed, and thankfully it’s now a very short drive.

I ran out of my apartment – TV blaring, bananas scattered across the counter, baking soda on the coffee table…it was a sight for my roommate to walk into.

When I arrived back to my apartment, cream cheese in hand, I was bound and determined to make one of the best cupcakes ever. You should definitely try it out.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of honey 

1/4 cup of grade A or B maple syrup 

1/2 cup of plain non-fat yogurt

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla 

2 large bananas (ripe)

Filling

2 tablespoons of butter

2 large bananas (ripe)

1/4 cup of dark brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon of salt

Frosting

2 8-oz packages of Neufchatel cheese (or you can use regular cream cheese), at room temperature

1 tablespoon of cinnamon 

1 tablespoon of non-fat milk (organic)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2-3 cups of confectioners sugar (depending on consistency)

Dark brown sugar for garnish (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare 18 muffin tins with liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a whisk. Be sure there are no visible lumps within the dry mixture. Then add in the honey, maple syrup, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla.

Using an electric mixer, combine the ingredients until that batter is homogeneous and smooth. Lightly mash the bananas with a fork, and use a spatula to fold them into the batter. This will allow the banana pieces to stay fairly in tact, giving the final cupcake product a delicious and fruit-filled texture.

Once these steps are completed, scoop the batter into the muffin tins, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

While the cupcakes are baking, begin preparing the filling by melting two tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the brown sugar, salt, and banana pieces.

Allow the mixture to slightly bubble while stirring consistently.

The banana mixture will reduce down into a syrup-like consistency. The banana slices should break down into smaller chunks, and the sugar should completely dissolve. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool.

Once the cupcakes are done baking, remove them from the oven and use a small knife to cut out the centers for filling. I usually cut out a cylinder that’s about 1/2 inch in diameter.

Fill the holes with the banana/brown sugar mixture using a small spoon.

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting by combining the cream cheese, cinnamon, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on high speed. Whip the frosting to a fluffy consistency, making sure there are no lumps present. You will want the frosting to be firm enough to stand up on a spoon, but thin enough to squeeze through a piping bag. If your frosting is too thick, add a bit more milk (one teaspoon at a time). If your frosting is too thin, add about 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. 

For this recipe, I used Neufchâtel cheese instead of cream cheese. The two types of cheeses are usually right next to each other in the store, with identical packaging. Neufchâtel cheese is a French, unripened cheese made with cow’s milk, and left to ripen. The process in which the cheese is made provides a soft and creamy consistency, much like that of brie or American cream cheese. The taste is not much different from standard cream cheese; however, the reason I chose to use it was not only out of curiosity alone – this French delicacy contains nearly 10% less milk fat than any other regular cream cheese, and it’s just pretty cool. 

Use a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off, generously frost your heavenly cakes. I sprinkled mine with a little bit of dark brown sugar for extra pizzazz. Feel free to put a dash of cinnamon on each one too.

Enjoy these delectable desserts at any time of the day. My favorite part was getting to share these cupcakes with a good number of people in my new apartment complex.

Food = Friends

With love and cupcakes,

- Kelsey