These Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting are lightened up slightly, but they’re so good that you may not be able to stop at just one!
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Well, if you guessed BANANA cupcakes, you were right on!
These cupcakes were baked with nothing but sweat & love yesterday in my steamy kitchen. They are subtly sweet, incredibly moist, and have the perfect flavor of banana that makes you think “Mmmm, I love bananas” but not like you’re eating one whole.They’re texture is very similar to that of a muffin, with that little extra amount of denseness when comparing a muffin to a cupcake.
BUT…that’s not even the best part.
The frosting on these babies is beyond amazing. A smooth blend of cream cheese, mixed with the flavors of honey & cinnamon combined to make a delicious topper that I could easily bath in. Ok, maybe that’s extreme. How about we say I could quite easily eat it on top of anything. It’s fantastic, and you must try these!
Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Banana Cupcakes
- 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1-1/2 cups mashed bananas about 3 med-lg sized
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 2-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp. milk
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Make a well in the center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, applesauce, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Spread tops with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat for another 2 minutes.
- Add the honey and cinnamon, and gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time.
- Add the milk and more powdered sugar (if needed) until you get your desired consistency.
(cupcake & frosting recipes adapted from Martha Stewart’s Banana Cupcake with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting)
I also baked ANOTHER batch of cupcakes yesterday, but I’ll save that recipe for tomorrow.
Now I’m off for a run, then getting ready for DATE NIGHT tonight with the hubby! We’re going to dinner (at a location TBD) and then to see Toy Story 3. I’m so excited!!
Question for the Afternoon:
What’s your favorite way to spend a “Date Night” with your significant other?
Martha really knows her stuff, right? ha ha… great minds think alike! :) The icing sounds fantastic…
oh wow these look AMAZING! need to make asap! xx
oh my god you did not!!! i want thoseeee! martha is so good. business scandals and all. just kidding, not that part. i love this recipe. good job! have fun on date night :)
woahhhh baby! those look delish! if i attempted this at home, it totally wouldn’t come out looking quite as purdyyy as yours do but hey, thats okay!
my fav date night used to be: going to a midnight movie! more often than not, it felt like a home theater since we were the only two there :)
Hi!!! Just came across your blog and it’ SO cute!!! I’ve also been dating my Manfriend for a while (since 8th grade, LOL). So cute to hear similar stories that work out!!!
Look forward to reading more :)
Hi Lauren! So glad you found me. :) I love hearing stories of high school (or junior high!) sweethearts – we’re a special bunch! ;)
cooking at home together with a glass of wine while we chat. i’m a simply gal.
Those cupcakes look beautiful! Nice job. If only I liked cream cheese frosting. I think I’ll have to find a tasty substitute!
Great choice on the banana cupcakes! I am going to have to try that frosting very soon!
My husband and I love to chill at home with a bottle of wine and some games of Yahtzee – we’re kind of dorky! :) We also love going out to get ice cream – I guess that’s my obsession and my husband just puts up with it! :)
HAHA, it must be the name because your last comment is the SAME as me & my hubby! :)
Those look like they should be in a cupcake shop! They sound so good right now, if the sun wasn’t so blazing hot I would totally want to make them. The flavors sound like they would make a good ice cream too.
My fav datenight with my baby is dinner and a movie. Those cupcakes looks so good. Can’t wait to hear about ur date night.
WOWZERS….those cupcakes look amazing!!!! :) Keith and I are big movie renters. I know that sounds lame but really it is the best! ;)
Hi Courtney,
What a cute blog! I saw your comment on Tina’s post and thought I would say hey and we should swap similar stories. Who knows, maybe we can help each other out! You at least have a really great blog going for ya! I would love to do a healthy living blog,but have no idea where to start.
Okay, fiiiiiine. I’ll try them :wink:
Oh my goodness – those cupcakes= HOLY YUM! Cannot wait to try those asap!!!
Favorite way to spend date night is probably grabbing dinner & watching a movie :)
PS: Sorry for all the comments @ once– I’m catching up on my blog reading. I missed ya! xoxo
Those look wayyy good! I am a lover of all things banana and cream cheesy (:
Oh my… I want to make these now. I might have to make them tomorrow when I get home from my 11-mile run. I am not above bribing myself.
There cupcakes look so good – the flavors are perfect!
I made these 2 wks ago and all I have to say is that they were FREAKIN FANTASTIC!!!!! Thnx a bunch 4 sharing them with us!! The frosting took it over the top! AMAZING!!! My inlaws appreciated them as well. Everyone raved about that frosting. Yum!
I’m so glad you and your family liked them! You’re more than welcome :)
I made these 2 nights ago because my boyfriend and I were craving something sweet. We decided to keep two and take the rest to our coworkers. After one bite we instantly regretted our decision to share them. Everyone at my work keeps asking for this recipe!
Awesome! Send ’em on over! :)
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/51337393
someone on etsy stole your photo and is selling the recipe. Please contact etsy so we can get this store shut down. Thanks.
I’ve contacted both etsy AND the seller…the seller has since changed the picture, but I have no idea whether or not it’s my recipe. Did you buy them? Are you sure it’s actually my recipe?
I have yet to hear back from etsy, which is REALLY frustrating…and I agree, the store seems sketchy
No I didn’t. I was just helping one of the other food bloggers. When did you contact them?
I believe it was June 9th…she opened her store on June 7th, and someone informed me of it two days later.
Her contacted other food blogs including bakerella and it was on a food chat board earlier so I’m guessing they got at least 20 reports today so hopefully that will move it along.
Hi i loved the cupcakes! how much salt did you use?:)
I didn’t use any salt :)