bananarama

i recently bought a glow-in-the-dark banana guard on the internet. it got sent to me at work and when I opened the package, my first (irrationally angry) thought was, who sent me a sex toy at work?!?!?!?! it took me a good five minutes to realize what it was. and despite what everyone says, it’s great. I can carry my banana to work in my handbag without worrying about it getting bruised. I won’t lose my banana in the dark either. the only downside is perhaps that JJ still gives me a strange look when I take it out at work.

so anyway, I’ve been on a mission to make good banana cake. and after almost a month of banana cake/cupcake experiments (and subjecting people at slavedriver’s inc with the results thereof), I’ve finally cracked it and made what I determine to be my best banana cake work ever. it’s good. very good.

my version of the ultimate banana cupcake:

banana, pecan and (rummy) raisin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting and caramelized banana crisp

cupcakes:
125g butter
125g self raising flour
125g sugar
2 large free range eggs
2 very mushy bananas, mushed
good handful each of chopped pecans and raisins (i sometimes use my stash of rummy raisins, and add a couple spoonfuls of rum while I’m at it)

maple cream cheese frosting:
250g pack of cream cheese
50g icing sugar
very generous glug of maple syrup

caramelized banana crisp:
very thin banana slices – I managed to get about 50 slices out of one banana
lots of sugar

preheat the oven at 180C. cream the butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, add the mushed bananas, chopped pecans, raisins and fold in the flour. divide amongst cupcake holders and bake for about 15-18 minutes. cool. whip the frosting ingredients together and frost cupcakes. adjust the generosity of the glug for the strength of your maple syrup and to taste.

to make the caramelized banana crisps, sprinkle the banana slices with sugar and lay in one layer on a baking tray – grill to a golden brown crisp. it definitely helps with the cleaning up and the removal of the banana crisps if you first line the baking tray with a non-stick liner.