Banana Split Cupcakes
Banana Split Cupcakes are based on one of my favorite ice cream treats and are maybe even better. While most banana cakes are heavy, this is a very light cake filled with pineapple and topped with Strawberry Buttercream. A drizzle of chocolate finishes this treat.
Servings: 9
Calories: 1015kcal
Equipment
- Large Texas Muffin Cups
Ingredients
Pineapple Filling
- 1 ½ cups crushed pineapple, very well drained
- ½ cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Banana Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups cake flour (210 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup banana puree
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams or 1 stick)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250 grams)
- 2 large eggs
Strawberry Buttercream
- 3 cups freeze dried strawberries (from 2 -1.2 ounce packages
- 2 ⅓ cups powdered sugar (300 grams)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (170 grams -1 ½ sticks)
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract
- Red food color, optional
- semisweet chocolate as needed
Instructions
- Line 9 large Texas muffin cups with cupcake liners. Set aside
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Pineapple Filling
- This will make more than you need. The extra filling is great on toast, a bagel (especially with cream cheese also), as an ice cream topping (loosen it with a bit of water) or as a topping for anything.
- Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together.
- Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil about one minute until a spoon drawn through it leaves a wide trail that does not fill in. Cool. This can be made a week ahead and refrigerated.
Banana Cupcakes
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Place the bananas in the bowl of a processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add the buttermilk and oil, whisk together and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well.
- Alternately add the flour and banana mixture, starting and ending with the flour.
- Fill the 9 cupcake liners about ¾ full. A #8 disher/scooper makes this easy.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until a tester comes out cleanly or they spring back when lightly touched. Cool completely.
Assembly
- See photos for the easiest way to do this.
- Using a large pastry tip upside down in the middle of the cake, core out the center. Save the plug just removed. Widen the hole a bit more with a teaspoon.
- Fill the hole generously with the pineapple filling and replace the plug on top. Set aside.
Strawberry Buttercream
- Place half the strawberries and half the powdered sugar the the bowl of a processor. Process until the strawberries are one with the powdered sugar. Repeat with the second half.
- Combine all of the ingredients except the food coloring in the bowl of a mixer. Beat on low to combine. Raise the speed to medium and beat until lightened. Add the food coloring as desired.
- Using a #6 or ½" open piping tip, finish the cupcakes with a swirl of buttercream.
- Melt a little semisweet chocolate at half power in a microwave. Dip a spoon in the melted chocolate and wave it over the iced cupcakes.
- The cupcakes can be stored for 3 days at room temperature or frozen for up to a month.
Notes
There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above.
As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.
I used the term softened butter where others refer to room temperature butter because some rooms are too cold or too warm. The ideal temperature for butter to be creamed is 72°F.
The bananas should be fairly ripe as seen in the photograph.
Use a 16 to 20 ounce can crushed pineapple. Make sure to drain the pineapple really well before making the filling or it can be too loose when cooked.
The filling can be made a week ahead and refrigerated. There will be extra filling. The extra filling is great on toast, a bagel (especially with cream cheese also), as an ice cream topping (loosen it with a bit of water) or as a topping for anything.
The cupcakes can be made in their totality several weeks ahead and frozen. Thaw at room temperature.
Be sure to use freeze dried strawberries for the buttercream. They impart a very intense flavor. You will need 2 -1.2 ounce packages.
A few drops of red food coloring enhances the color after the buttercream is mixed. This is optional.
If you didn't have time or forgot to soften your butter, put the stick still wrapped on a plate in the microwave. Microwave for 3 to 5 seconds on each side turning the butter one quarter each time. It should be just perfect for creaming.
Using a ½", #6 open star piping tip will give your cupcakes a professional look. Otherwise, feel free to spoon it on in swirls.
The cupcakes be stored at room temperature, covered for days or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 1015kcal | Carbohydrates: 166g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 1219mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 130g | Vitamin A: 894IU | Vitamin C: 969mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 18mg