I use this banana cupcakes recipe to make 1 loaf of banana bread, but my favorite way to use it is to make banana cupcakes. These cupcakes are always a nice surprise in place of the typical banana bread or banana muffins. I have tried many different banana bread and muffin recipes over the years but I keep coming back to this one that has been in my family for 75 years or more.
Banana Cupcakes Recipe
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup solid shortening or margarine
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sour milk
1 cup bananas (about 3) mashed, very ripe are best
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2-1 cup nuts (optional)
Add each ingredient in order, beating until smooth. Pour into greased muffin tins or tins lined with papers. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it is done. Frost with buttercream frosting (canned vanilla or homemade).
Makes about 12 dozen regular size muffins.
Buttercream Frosting Recipe
3 cups powdered sugar (If sugar is lumpy, you may want to sift it.)
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 Tbsp. milk
Mix sugar and butter. Add vanilla. Slowly add milk, beating until smooth. If it is too stiff, add a little more milk to get the right consistency. This frosts about one 9×13 cake, two 8 inch cakes or 1 dozen cupcakes. Can store this in the fridge for several weeks.
Tips:
- When a recipe calls for you to beat the eggs before adding, I usually break the eggs on top of the ingredients that are already in the bowl, whisk slightly with a fork and continue mixing into the other ingredients with the mixer. This prevents you from getting out and dirtying a separate bowl to beat the eggs.
- If you want to make banana bread with this recipe, bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.
- You can add raisins or other dried fruit if you like.
- This banana cupcakes recipe is a great way to use up ripe bananas.
- Many people love cream cheese frosting but I prefer the vanilla butter cream for this recipe. It gives it a different flavor than the usual run of the mill that you find so many places doing with the cream cheese. It’s not that they aren’t good, too, but this is for something a little different.
Diann Peel says
I was curious about the ‘sour milk’ ingredient in the banana cupcakes recipe. Is that like adding vinegar to milk when a recipe calls for buttermilk? I just wasn’t sure what to use.
Thank you.
Jill says
This does get confusing. Yes you can make milk sour by adding a tsp. or two of vinegar to it then let it set for a minute or two and you will see it curdle. What is confusing is so many people think when a recipe calls for buttermilk they can substitute sour milk for it but they are totally 2 different things and should not be substituted for each other. The special bacteria and different things in buttermilk makes the texture and other things different in a recipe from what just sour milk does.
Now that being said usually it isn’t that big of a difference so that is why most people think it makes no difference at all. They also have always done it that way and don’t have anything really to compare it with so they think it is ok. Lots of different factors.
Here is a link to a post on our website that explains the difference if you need did. Answers on buttermilk and sour milk
Paulina Piskorz says
You just gave an idea what to do with bananas I bought yesterday 🙂 If you want to try this recipe but don’t have ripe bananas, here’s a nice trick to quickly ripen the fruit: http://www.listonic.com/protips/get/opqpndomrm Thanks again for this great recipe
Bea says
For some reason Jill I’m hungry for something with banana in it. I think I will make these real soon. Probably over the holiday weekend. They sound YUMMY.
JHart says
I love this recipe. Usually I add blueberries or chocolate chips instead of the nuts. Yesterday I made them but substituted the bananas for homemade cranberry sauce leftover from Thanksgiving dinner. They turned out fabulous! Thank you so much for this recipe!