Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Lately I've taken to calling Mr. Devilish Dish "Monkey Man".  I don't know why.  Forever and ever I've called him Daddy.  Not because we're weird and gross, but because when Little Devil was little, she would hear me call him by his first name and then she would repeat it.   He was not a fan of being called Greg by his toddler.   I said Daddy, so she would call him Daddy.  And it stuck.  Except now that we are "older" everyone that hears me say it thinks I'm nuts.  I've made an effort not to say Daddy as much.  Far be it from me to call him anything normal, like say his First Name, so Monkey Man has been the nickname of late.  It's a perfect fit.  His feet look like monkey feet.  (Well I think so because I hate feet.  I like to tell him he could scale a coconut tree with those things.)  AND he loves ANYTHING with bananas in it.  And since I love my Monkey Man so much, I came up with some yummy banana cupcakes with chocolate frosting to satisfy his banana craving.

Perfect for Monkey Man!

The Line-Up
(includes the frosting ingredients)

For the cupcakes:
Cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time.
Beat well after each.

Sift dry ingredients together.

Combine bananas and buttermilk.

Begin adding flour mixture to butter mixture.

Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk mixture.
Begin and end with flour mixture.

Fill cupcake liners.

Bake until light golden brown.
Approximately 18 minutes.
Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
Sift together powdered sugar and cocoa.

Cream butter until smooth.

Alternate adding the powdered sugar mixture

With the evaporated milk.
Add the vanilla.

Beat until light and fluffy.

Frost cooled cupcakes with frosting.
I even garnished them with a tiny Reese's cup.

Serve to the Monkey Man in your life.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.  Cream together sugar and butter with an electric mixer.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.  Combine buttermilk, bananas and vanilla.  Begin adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixer to the creamed mixture.  Alternate, beginning and ending with flour.  Mix until just blended.  Pour batter into prepared liners.  Bake approximately 18 minutes or until light golden and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.  Remove cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.  Yields about 18-21 cupcakes depending on how full you fill the pans.

Prep Time:  Approximately 15 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 18 minutes 

Chocolate Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together powdered sugar and cocoa, set aside.  With an electric mixer, cream butter until smooth.  Gradually add powdered sugar mixture, alternating with evaporated milk.  Blead in vanilla.  Beat until light and fluffy.  You can adjust the consistency by using more or less milk or sugar.

Prep Time:  Approximately 10 minutes     Cook Time:  0