Banana Cupcakes with White Ganache

I love banana bread and banana cake, and when I saw this recipe at

The Big Green Bowl I knew I couldn't pass it up. 

It proved to be a very tasty snack - very moist and yummy-licious! 

The original recipe is for banana cake, but I was in a time crunch when I decided to make them, so I choose to bake cupcakes to save on time.

I always have bananas in the freezer...I just toss them in, peel and all, when they are brown.  Before baking with them, I thaw them on the counter, or overnight in the fridge, and squeeze them out of the peel into the batter.  They blend in easily and I believe it adds more moisture.

Banana Cake (or Cupcakes)

1/4 cup shortening

1-1/2 cups sugar
(I cut back some and used half Splenda)

2 eggs

2-1/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup buttermilk*

1 cup mashed bananas (2 or 3 ripe bananas)

Preheat oven to 350-F. Grease and flour two 8" round cake pans (or use PAM cooking spray for baking). You can also make cupcakes with this batter.

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar til well combined. Add eggs and beat some more. Dissolve baking soda in the buttermilk. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add buttermilk and flour mixture alternately a little a a time. Beat in bananas.

Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake for 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I didn't record how long I baked the cupcakes, but probably about 15 minutes.
Begin checking them after 12 to be sure you don't overbake.

Remove from oven and cool in pan for 5 min. Invert onto cooling racks. When completely cool, frost the cake with butter cream frosting or the cupcakes with white chocolate ganache.

White Chocolate Ganache:

1 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 c. heavy cream

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chips and cream. Microwave on high in 20 second intervals, stirring after each 20 seconds. Do this until chocolate is soft enough to melt and become creamy with stirring.

After muffins are cooled, dip each top in the ganache, or pour/spread a little over each and set them back on wire rack to dry.

*TIP: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own "sour milk" by measuring 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup, and adding enough milk to make a total of 1 cup. Let it stand 5 minutes before using. For this recipe, cut that in 1/2.

Makes 2 - 8" layers or about 30 cupcakes.

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