The classic combination of chocolate and banana makes muffins that are perfect for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea. If you can wait until the next day to frost the cakes, though, then all the better; these cakes just improve with time.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1 x 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder
- 40g cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 4 x 15ml (tbsp) milk
- 150g caster sugar
- 100g softened butter
- 2 small ripe bananas cut into chunks
FOR THE FROSTING
- 150g cream cheese
- 30g icing sugar
- 1 x 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) cinnamon (optional)
- 12 dried banana chips for decoration
METHOD
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas mark 4. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and chocolate powder into a large mixing bowl.
- Place all the other ingredients in a blender in the order given in the ingredients list (eggs, milk, sugar, butter, bananas). Blend for about 20 seconds on a high speed. The mixture will look curdled, but don’t worry.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients in the bowl and fold in with a metal spoon. Be sure not to mix too thoroughly to keep the cake light and fluffy.
- Place the mixture in the muffin tin, filling each hole 3/4 full.
- Bake for around 15-18 minutes. When testing the cakes, you don’t want the skewer to come out completely clean: they should be a little under-baked inside.
- When the cakes are ready, leave them to cool for a couple of minutes in the tin before taking them out to place on a cooling rack. Cover the cakes with a tea-towel, helping to preserve moistness as the cakes cool.
- While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the cream cheese and cinnamon and beat together thoroughly. Spread a generous teaspoon of the mixture over each cake to cover the top and decorate with a dried banana chip.
words FFIONA MILLS
www.thethinkingwomanscrumpet.com
@ffionamills