The humble banana cupcake is stepped up a notch with a peanut encrusted base smothered in the creamiest, fluffiest, nuttiest buttercream icing you can imagine. Sprinkles, chocolate, cherries and a wafer biscuit are the finishing touches on this dessert-inspired cupcake.

Prep:
25 min
Cook:
20 min
Serves:
12

Ingredients

Banana Cupcakes

  1. 125g salted butter, softened

  2. ½ cup (80g) brown sugar

  3. ¼ cup (55g) caster sugar

  4. 1 tsp Queen Vanilla Bean Paste

  5. 2 large eggs

  6. 1 cup mashed banana (280g | 3 small or 2 large bananas)

  7. 1 ½ cups (225g) self-raising flour

  8. ½ tsp baking powder

  9. 1⁄3 cup (80ml) milk

  10. ½ tsp cinnamon

Peanut Butter Buttercream

  1. 150g salted butter, softened

  2. 1/3 cup + 2 tsp (100g) smooth peanut butter

  3. 1 ½ cup (225g) icing sugar

  4. 1 tsp Queen Vanilla Bean Paste

Decorations

  1. 2/3 cup (120g) dark chocolate melts

  2. 1 tbsp vegetable oil

  3. 1/3 cup (40g) chopped peanuts, roasted

  4. 12 glace cherries

  5. 4 spiral wafer biscuits (cut into 3 parts)

  6. Sprinkles to decorate

Method - Banana Cupcake

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 180°C (fan forced) and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with patty cases.

  2. Step 2

    Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and cinnamon together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add in mashed banana and mix well to combine. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.

  3. Step 3

    Sift flour and baking powder into a separate small bowl. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding small portions of the flour mixture and the milk until all ingredients are combined into the banana mixture. Divide among 12 patty cases and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Method - Peanut Butter Buttercream

  1. Step 1

    Beat butter and peanut butter in a mixer on high speed until light and fluffy (about 10 minutes or until a the colour is a light ivory shade). Add in the vanilla bean and mix until combine. Add in the icing sugar and once combined beat again on high speed for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a covered bowl or container and set aside until cupcakes have baked and cooled.

Method - Decorations

  1. Step 1

    Melt chocolate in a microwave proof bowl for 1 minute. Take out and stir. If not completely melted after 1 minute place back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix the vegetable oil in with the chocolate until combined. This will thin the chocolate mixture out and prevent it from hardening too quickly.

  2. Step 2

    Spoon a small amount of chocolate to cover the top of each cupcake. Spread the chocolate as close to the edges as you can. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle on the roasted peanuts around the edges of the cupcake.

  3. Step 3

    Once the chocolate has set on the cupcakes, pipe buttercream icing on top using a large closed star tip. Hold the piping bag upright and begin piping from the centre of the cupcake in a circular motion moving clockwise. Pipe the icing as high as you desire.

  4. Step 4

    Using the remaining melted chocolate, drizzle a small amount over each cupcake. Use either a teaspoon or a disposable piping bag to drizzle the chocolate. Before the drizzled chocolate sets, place a glace cherry on top of each cupcake, one wafer biscuit and finish with sprinkles.

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