Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache

It was time for me to start creating my own crazy cupcakes and I started with this one. I am so glad I did because it is awesomely delicious. You might be thinking that this is way too many good things to be combined but fear not! It's completely tasty. It might take a little more effort than the average cupcake but it is worth it, I double promise.

Bonus: This is an instructable of three cupcakes instead of just one! (I might be stretching that a bit but it can be thought of that way.)

Each cupcake recipe makes about 6 cupcakes.

Banana Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 stick of butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 bananas

Peanut Butter Cupcakes:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup AP flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup milk

Peanut Butter and Banana "Glue":

• Peanut butter
• Bananas
• Powdered sugar

Chocolate Ganache:

• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, in small bits
• 1 cup heavy cream

(If you are wondering why my measurements are really strange it is because I cut my recipe in half.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line your muffin tin with cupcake liners.

In a smaller bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set that away for a bit.

In a larger bowl, mix the butter and sugar together with a mixer. Add the vanilla extract and the egg and combine. Slowly, add in the dry ingredients until they are well combine. Throw the bananas in and mix until everything is well combined.

Using the best utensil you have for cupcake scooping (I have a mini-scooper), fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full with batter. Bake until the tops turn a golden-brown, which is about 20 minutes. Sticking a toothpick in to make sure the center is baked by having the toothpick come out clean is always highly recommended.

Set the cupcakes aside to let cool.

While the banana cupcakes are baking you can begin the peanut butter cupcakes. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a larger bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until well combined with a mixer. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix them in as well. Add the dry ingredients and milk and mix until everything is good and together.

Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 the way full with batter. Bake these ones for about 27 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean. They will crack on the top like all delicious peanut butter things.

Set aside and let them cool.

Cut an even amount of cupcakes in half. Try to make them as even and level as possible.

This part is all up to you; depending on how many cupcakes you decided to combine and how you want the glue part to taste mix peanut butter, banana, and powdered sugar together. I used about three big spoonfuls of peanut butter, half of a banana, and a tablespoon of powdered sugar.

Spread the glue onto the bottom halves of the cupcakes and mix and match the tops. The banana bottoms should have peanut butter tops and vice versa. Set aside until ready the ganache is ready.

(Sorry for the awful monster reference in the title. I usually oppose using Frankenstein in referring to the monster because it's Victor's name, but it just seemed so perfect in this case.)

Time to make the gananche: Pour heavy cream into a pot and heat it slowly up until it boils, stirring regularly. Make sure your chocolate are in small and easily melt-able sizes and place in bowl. When the cream begins to boil pour over the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate has melted. Let cool for a while.

When the ganache is cool enough, spoon it over the cupcakes.

Finally, the delicious cupcakes are complete! I am so proud of these tasty treats! I hope that you enjoy them just as much as me.

(Word of warning: The fresh bananas in the glue should be refrigerated but the gananche cannot be exposed to moisture in the fridge. Solution: Place the cupcakes in an airtight container and store in the fridge!)