Banana Pecan Cupcakes

Well because I decided to thaw my frozen banana's to make some banana bread today, I decided to make the banana pecan cupcakes with caramel butter cream frosting.

The cupcake batter came together nice and quick, and bakes quickly too. The recipe calls for 20 minutes of baking. I checked mine at 14 minutes and they were done already...I am noticing that my cooking times tend to be shorter than the times mentioned in her recipes, not sure if it is the oven, pans, etc. so beware of this.

Landon made a few with chocolate chips in them, which he of course found more to his liking...he is so predictable!

Anyway, I was making these around lunch time, and started on the meringue butter cream frosting - my sister's problem child. I should have stopped, as I was feeling rushed to get out of the house...and I was misreading the recipe and had to start over on the first step. This should have been my sign to stop, but nope...I kept on thinking I could get it done before leaving...or at least most of it.

So, I figured I had step one on the go (caramelizing sugar and water), and it was taking forever, so I would move on to the next steps and save myself some time. I was mixing and measuring, and only at the last moment as I was thinking to myself...this seems strange...I realized that step two was also down the tubes! I didn't realize that I needed to whip the butter and set it aside and then mix egg whites and sugar together over a pot of simmering water. So I had the butter in the bowl too and had to throw it all out!

So, I thought maybe I would have the Caramel sauce from part one ready for later, but it was taking FOREVER...and I got impatient and started noticing the sugar was crystallizing on the sides of the pot, so I was trying to get it off, but at this point I was mixing the sugar water too much and it hardened right up and turned back into sugar...but insanely hard sugar. UGH! So I ended up calling off the icing and throwing all my efforts out...not to mention all of the dishes I had to clean up still!

So we tried to head to the city for a dinner with the in laws, but the highways were so bad that they closed it and we were routed into Stony Plain, so we grabbed supper and headed home. As soon as we got home (after a trip to the store for more supplies) I started in on the icing.

I decided this time I would take it nice and slow, one step at a time so I didn't get confused or too distracted and screw something up again.

The first step of caramelizing the sugar water took FOREVER and a day...I would say nearly a half hour, and I needed to use a wet pastry brush to keep the sugar from building up on the sides of the pot.

Then the next step of whipping the butter, I started on this while the first step was under way, since it was taking forever and I was getting restless. Then started the egg whites and sugar in a bowl over simmering water - this went quickly as I remembered the last time I made this. Then into the mixer it goes to beat until it is cool, forms peaks, and is shiny and smooth.

The Caramel sauce finally came together at this point and then just sat to cool on the stove, looked awesome...I know how to make a delicious caramel sauce now!

Okay, so the egg white mixture looked right...I remember last time I made it I whipped it for alot longer, but I wasn't watching the time and it looked okay. Then you add the butter while continuously whipping the mixture. This is where things started looking lumpy and separated as my sister Leah describes. I was beginning to think that I had messed it up, but figured that I would keep going and see how it ended.

The recipe calls for a paddle on the stand mixer for the last step, where you mix in the caramel sauce...and I then remembered that the last time I made it, this was the crucial step as well, although I already had the paddle on when adding butter last time, so I didn't notice the lumpy separated looking mess.

I added the caramel and within seconds of turning it on medium-high setting, it became smooth and silky butter cream. It needs to be paddled for 5 minutes in the mixer...I think this is the secret to butter cream.

So, once it was done, I iced the cupcakes and voila!

The most scrumptious cupcake I think I have made yet. I personally love banana bread, and the pecans and caramel accents are quite delightful. I would most definitely recommend this recipe...but to save yourself some anxiety, please use a mixer, or get a paddle attachment for your hand mixer (if they even have those).

My little taste tester quite enjoyed these as well!