Optional Vegan and Refined Sugar Free
It was my beautiful lady-friend Maevie’s birthday yesterday. You may remember her from the Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake of last year. (If you followed that link, please accept sincere apologies for the horrendous photography). Maevie and I have been friends every since year 3, when she became besties with my twin sister. I can’t believe she’s twenty! It seems only yesterday she and my sister were running around the playground playing their weird little games. While me and my friends played horses or card games, Maevie would go around pretending to eat people saying they were KFC chicken tenders.
I once walked in on her covering my sister in duct-tape telling her she was now a prisoner. Another time I found them playing with little plastic horses and pigs pretending they were Simpson characters. This was in high school! Such good memories❤ Maevie, like me, loves cake a lot. So I thought the present she would appreciate most would be something of the baked and covered in chocolate variety.
Maevie’s actually a very skilled photographer herself. She’s given me countless tips on why my photos often come out looking like hideous brown blobs. I didn’t want her cupcakes to consist of only shades of brown, but I didn’t really have time to do any fancy icing either. Cue rose petals! There was a big bunch of pink roses on the table and I stole a couple petals to decorate these. If I had more time I would have made sugared rose petals, or maybe designed them a little like this rose cake.
I used David Lebovitz‘ banana cake with mocha frosting and halved it to make these, taking a slightly healthier route with the icing. You can use your favourite vegan chocolate icing, or if you want the original recipe, it just said to melt 140g dark chocolate with 70ml of brewed coffee, then stir in 70g unsalted butter until smooth. The smell of the coffee melting with the chocolate is amaaaaazing. If I ever meet David I swear I might cry from gratitude for all the delicious cakes and ice cream flavours he’s brought into my life.
I’ve given vegan alternatives, most of which I have tested but I used a chickens egg so I can’t 100% assure the chia seeds will make an adequate alternative. There’s only one egg though so I’m sure it will work fine! Also my sister would like everyone to know these were “the nicest cupcakes she’s ever tasted”.
One Year Ago: Rich Chocolate and Caramel Brownies
Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing (Adapted from David Lebovitz)
150g (1 + 1/4 cup) plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1tsp baking powder
115g/1/2 cup butter (or 115ml/1/2 cup vegan butter or oil) at room temperature
150g (2/3 cup) white sugar (or honey/agave syrup)
1 medium egg OR 1 tbsp chia seeds blended with 3 tbsp water, at room temperature
2 medium sized super ripe bananas, mashed (about 250g or half a pound)
45g (3 tbsp) yogurt (coconut yogurt for vegan)
For the icing: 250g (half a tub) coconut yogurt mixed with 200g (7 ounces) melted dark chocolate and 2 tbsp runny agave syrup
For the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and line 8 cupcake holders with liners. Mash the banana with the yogurt and set aside. Cream the butter or oil and sugar or syrup until fluffy and well combined. Set to low and slowly blend in the egg. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon and baking powder well. Stir in half the mashed bananas into the butter, then half the flour. Repeat with the remaining halves and stir just to combine. Spoon into muffin cases and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden and fluffy.
Top with chocolate icing of your choice, and a rose petal if you want🙂 The recipe makes 8 small cupcakes but can easily be increased for more! Enjoy :)
yummy yummy🙂 definitely wanna try this one out, check out my blog also at http://www.theretroteapot.wordpress.com happy baking🙂
David Leibovitz is one of my heroes, too! I’m sure these muffins turned out great, and actually they look so pretty in those lovely little cases. What a lucky friend you have!
Thank you Helen! I love all his cookbooks🙂
Love the idea of adding rose petals to perk up the cupcakes. They look divine🙂
Thank you!
These cupcakes look amazing! Love the way you’ve decorated with a rose petal, so lovely. Loving the combination of banana and cinnamon and that icing sounds divine.🙂
Aw thank you!
Mmm…that flavor combination sounds delicious, and the cakes look so perfect (moist, but not overly so)! Your friends are lucky to have you baking for them!
Thank you!
The cupcakes look so pretty, that’s so nice that you made these for your friend’s birthday, she must have been thrilled with these🙂 Love the banana and cinnamon combo and the icing sounds wonderful!
Thank you! Banana and cinnamon are a match made in heaven❤
They look scrumptious. I found a really good alternative to using eggs in a strange book all about cornbread from an author called Crescent Dragonwagon. It is along the lines of those packaged dried egg replacers but works really well and is MUCH cheaper to make. If anyone wants the recipe go to Google books and type in “The Cornbread Bibles” by Crescent Dragonwagon and scroll down till you find it. I love David’s recipes and candid sense of humour as well. Cheers for this delicious share🙂
Oh that sounds interesting! Thanks for the tip! I really want to get The Perfect Scoop but I know if I do I’ll want to try making literally all of his recipes🙂
Me too. I took it out of the library (along with one of his baking books) and decided not to buy it because I would get SO fat eating all of that amazing food that I wouldn’t be able to get out of my door😉
Hahaha same!
Oh my god these were so delicious Lil, anyone thinking of making these bad boys can be assured from someone who has tried and tested them that these cupcakes are beyond good. That banana and chocolate/coffee flavour! I actually can’t stop thinking about them, I want another one ahhhh
Cescie it was the same recipe as your birthday cake so I thought you’d like them xxxx
This cupcakes look delicious! I love the rose petals on top. Mocha icing has really got my attention😀
Thanks!
These cupcakes sound so lovely and they look adorable with the rose petals!
Aw thank you Kate!
Wow – I mean I always know that if I have been gone for a while there will be some amazing recipes waiting on your blog, but this one really is stunning!
You’re so kind! Thanks🙂
These cupcakes are so delicate and beautiful! Love your baking cups too!
Thanks Laura!
Wow, these look SO yummy!! I love banana anything. And a coffee icing?! Yum!! Beautiful photography!
Aw thankyou!
Love those rose petals on them….They look fab ..
Thanks!