Cupcake #6: Moving Blues Banana Caramel Cupcakes

I was SO excited to try these cupcakes! I love banana and anything caramel, so thought they would be an interesting combination together. They weren't overly sweet and they turned out so cute too!

Ingredients for Cupcakes: -1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temp. -2 room-temp. eggs, separated (yolks will be used in frosting) -3 Tbsp. milk -1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas -1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. sugar -1 c. flour -1 tsp. baking powder -2 Tbsp. potato starch -1/2 tsp. salt -5-6 pieces soft caramels

To Make the Cupcakes: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 10-12 cupcake papers in pan. 2. Cream butter and 1/2 c. sugar in electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 mins.

3. Add bananas, baking powder, potato starch and salt, and beat until smooth. 4. Fold in the flour with a rubber spatula. 5. Add the milk and mix until combined. 6. Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Do not overmix. It's better if the peaks are slightly soft than too stiff. This takes about 3 mins. on high speed. Gradually add in the 2 Tbsp. of sugar.

7. Fold the egg-white mixture into the batter until combined.

8. Scoop into lined cupcake pans. Fill each cake three-fourths of the way to the top.

9. Cut 5-6 (1/2 for each cupcake) caramels in half and submerge one piece in each cupcake.

10. Bake ~15-20 mins. or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.

11. Cool for 5 mins. and then move to baking racks. Caramel Frosting: -6 soft caramels -1/4 c. milk -1/4 c. banana

-1/4 tsp. salt -2 egg yolks -1/2 c. powdered sugar -1 c. butter To Make the Frosting: 1. Place caramels, milk, banana and salt in a saucepan over med. heat. Remove from heat when the caramels are melted.

2. In separate bowl beat egg yolks and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until thick, about 3 mins. 3. Slowly add the yolk mixture to slightly cooled caramel mixture. I suggest placing the caramel mixture in a cool saucepan to aid in dropping the temp. If the caramel is too hot, it will cook the egg. But we don't want to completely cool it because the mixture is about to be heated on the stove again. 4. Place the combined mixture over med-low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

5. Beat 2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp, at high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 mins. 6. With mixer on low speed, slowly add cooled caramel mixture. 7. Once caramel is added, beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

8. Pipe frosting on cupcakes using pastry bag and tip of choice.