Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Banana brown sugar cupcakes with dark chocolate chunks and vanilla buttercream frosting ~

These cupcakes make me happy, if you like banana, chocolate and vanilla I think they would make you happy too! The cupcakes themselves are like little banana muffins (so totally justifiable to have for breakfast), studded with dark chocolate chunks and then topped with a luxurious vanilla buttercream.

Ingredients –

For the cupcakes –
1 ripe banana
100ml/ 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
40g/ 1 1/2oz/ 1/3 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
120g/ 4oz/ 3/4 cup soft light brown sugar
1 egg
120g/ 4oz/ 3/4 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
50g/ 2oz dark chocolate, cut into small chunks

For the icing –
225g/ 1 3/4 cup icing sugar/ powdered sugar
50g/ 2oz/ 1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
50ml/ 1/4 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

makes 7-8 cupcakes

To make the cupcakes –
– Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/ gas mark 4 and line a cupcake or muffin tin with cupcake cases.
– Blend together the milk, banana and vanilla. Set aside.
– Whisk together the butter, sugar and egg until smooth and creamy.
– Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt.
– Mix in the banana milk mixture, followed by the chopped dark chocolate.
– Spoon the mixture into the cupcakes cases, filling each one about 2/3 full.
– Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden brown.
– Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting –
– Whisk together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.