THE CUPCAKE PROJECT № 3 | BANANA CUPCAKES WITH CARAMEL SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

This is the first time in a very long time for me to do a cupcake post. When I started this blog, I wanted to do a mini-series featuring these festive treats, but that didn't work out as planned, as I ended up taking a very long break after only two posts. (If I remember correctly, it was due to buttercream trauma.) Fortunately, I am planning to get back on track (and much more skilled at making swiss meringue buttercream than before), and I have the perfect welcome back cupcake recipe: banana cupcakes with caramel swiss meringue buttercream. And yes, these are as heavenly as they sound. The recipe is originally from Martha Stewart, adapted via the amazing and talented Linda Lomelino. You can find her blog Call me Cupcake! here.

What better time to restart a project than spring — the cupcake project is officially back . . . *

* { banana cupcakes with caramel swiss meringue buttercream adapted from : call me cupcake — banana cupcakes with caramel frosting }
— click on the images above, or continue reading for the recipe

{ ingredients } makes 12-14 cupcakes
< for the banana cupcakes >
170g cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/8 teaspoon baking powder
85g unsalted butter
135g light brown sugar
2 small eggs
2 ripe banans, mashed
90ml buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

< for the caramel sauce >

250g sugar

120ml water

120ml heavy cream

< for the caramel buttercream >
6 egg whites
240g granulated sugar
270g unsalted butter
caramel sauce to taste

{ instructions }
< for the banana cupcakes >
1. Preheat oven to 170℃. Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder together into a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla extract, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until fully incorporated before adding the next.
4. Add the sifted dry ingredients in 3 additions, and the wet ingredients (banana mixture) in 2 additions, to the butter mixture. Start with the dry ingredients and alternate with the wet ingredients, so that you end with the dry ingredients. (Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so no dry ingredients remain.)
5. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer tins to a wire rack and let cool completely in tins.

< for the caramel sauce >

1. Place the sugar and water in a smallish-medium saucepan over low heat and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Keep heating until the syrup turns into a deep amber color. (Gently shake the saucepan while heating to get an even color; be careful not to stir.)

2. Remove from heat, and pour the cream in a little bit at a time. (Be careful as the syrup will be hot and bubble up when the cream is added.) Stir between each addition, until all the cream is incorporated and the caramel sauce is smooth.

< for the caramel buttercream >
1. Place the egg whites and sugar in a large bowl and set over a bain-marie. Making sure that the egg whites don't cook, whisk constantly until the mixture becomes around 65℃. (If you don't have a thermometer, whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to touch.) Remove from heat and continue whisking until the mixture is white, fluffy and cool, and forms peaks.
2. Start adding the butter, about 1-2 tablespoon at a time. Whisk well, making sure that the butter is fully incorporated before adding more butter. (If the mixture starts to look curdled and soupy, keep whisking and it will come back together, or heat briefly over the bain-marie and whisk more.)
3. When the mixture is smooth, add the caramel sauce to taste. Whisk until the caramel is fully incorporated and the buttercream is smooth.

* note: You will have enough buttercream to decorate two batches (24-28) of banana cupcakes.