Banana Cupcakes

Step 1

Position two oven racks towards the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with 18 paper cupcake liners.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Step 3

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and sour cream until well combined. Beat in banana. Stop and scrape down the bowl as needed.

Step 4

With the mixer on low, add in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk just until combined. (Be careful not to over mix the batter!) Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way full with the batter.

Step 5

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans and swapping oven positions halfway through, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

Step 6

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, cinnamon, and salt on medium speed until smooth and well combined.

Step 7

With the mixer on low speed, gradually mix in the powdered sugar and until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the bowl several times while mixing to make sure there aren’t any lumps of cream cheese and butter.

Step 8

Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with banana chips, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.