The Elvis: Banana Cupcake with Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Frosting & Bacon

The Elvis: Banana Cupcake with Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Frosting & Bacon

You know what's most upsetting about being a stay-at-home mom? How minuscule the role people make it out to be. I don't do the typical 9-to-5. I do the 7-to-9. I don't sit all day in an office. I stand most of the day either cooking, cleaning, and doing errands. I don't deal with office politics, but my social interactions have been reduced to a 4 and 7 year old. And the kicker of them all, there's no pay, benefits nor holidays. 

I don't care what other people think but when my family takes me for granted, I get upset. I get really upset. When I read my son's autobiography at a school Open House, admiring his dad while reducing his mom to "doing all the chores," my heart broke a little. You give up. You wonder what you are doing and who you are doing it for.

When I get upset, I bake. I bake because killing your family is illegal.

Below is a super moist banana cupcake recipe. I love dessert with fresh fruit in them. It makes me feel less guilty when eating 1, 2 or 3 of them all at once. The cupcakes are topped with a Swiss meringue peanut butter frosting. This meringue buttercream frosting is super light yet ridiculously creamy without an overpowering sweetness. If you have only tried store-bought frosting, you are going to be pleasantly surprised with this meringue buttercream. Lets face it. I say this with the utmost conviction, supermarket cupcakes and frosting are pure crap. The texture of this homemade meringue frosting is silky and it tastes just like heaven. No exaggeration there. It seriously tastes like heaven. The cupcakes are topped with a drizzle of melted chocolate and crumbled bacon because we all know everything tastes better with bacon. Enjoy!

Banana Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients

Yields 18-20 standard sized cupcakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1-1/3 cups sugar

• 3 ripe bananas

• 2 large eggs at room temperature

• 2 large egg yolks at room temperature

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup sour cream

• 1/2 cup warm water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon into a bowl. Set aside.

3. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.

4. Mix in the bananas until completely mashed.

5. Mix in eggs and yolks until just combined.

6. Mix in oil, vanilla, and sour cream until just combined.

7. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

8. Mix in water until just combined.

9. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

10. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Cupcake are done when tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

11. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Swiss Meringue Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 ounces egg whites (about 4 egg whites)

• 8 ounces (1 cup) granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 10 ounces (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions

1. Mix together the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of your stand mixer.

2. Place bowl on top of a water bath and whisk until temperature reaches 141 F.

3. Transfer mixture to the stand mixer with a whip attachment.

4. Whip on high until the mixture comes to room temperature.

5. Add butter, a tablespoon at a time, into the mixture and whip on high.

6. Add the peanut butter and continue whipping on high. The frosting may break while adding the the butter and peanut butter but do not fear. Continue mixing until the frosting gets smooth and fluffy.