teenage mutant ninja turtle cupcakes

If you’re looking to create baked goods with a ‘retro’ theme, {since, when did my childhood, become retro?!} be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to hunt down your decorations. Believe it or not, not a single local cake supply shop carried Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toppers. Luckily I keep the fabulous folks at sugarcraftusa.com in mind for all of my extravagant baking needs and, sure enough, they had one of the largest Ninja Turtle selections on the web. They also have every color of jimmies imaginable, so that yours truly doesn’t have to spend her evening sorting jimmies to fit her needs. {Not that I’ve ever done that, of course.}

The birthday girl also happens to be lactose intolerant, so I have included the adaptations needed to fit this dietary requirement. I would have never guessed that these cupcakes were dairy-free which makes them a winner in my book. In fact, I would probably use the almond milk regardless due to its rich flavor. The cake had all of the flavors and desired moisture of banana bread, but was incredibly light and fluffy. The added cinnamon to the chocolate buttercream enhanced the spice of the cake nicely without overpowering the rich banana flavor. If looking for a recipe that isn’t too sweet or heavy, this one’s for you! Banana Pound Cake Cupcakes
Makes approximately 24 cupcakesIngredients:
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk {substitute vanilla almond milk}
6 ounces (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened {substitute dairy-free margarine}
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
2 fully ripe bananas, mashed

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking tins with cupcake liners.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and cream until fully incorporated.
• Continue beating while adding sugar in a slow stream until fully incorporated and smooth.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
• Carefully mix in half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk and repeat.
• Once all ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth, fold in the mashed bananas.
• Fill liners a little over half full and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Allow cooling completely before frosting with Chocolate Cinnamon Buttercream.

Chocolate Cinnamon Buttercream
Enough to frost 24 cupcakes, plus a little extra

Ingredients:
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup of cocoa
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups confectioners sugar
~¼ cup milk {substitute vanilla almond milk}
pinch of salt

Preparation:

• Beat butter on high for about 30 seconds until soft and fluffy.
• Add cocoa, cinnamon, salt and 1 cup of sugar and beat until fully incorporated
• Add half of the milk and the remainder of sugar and beat again until fully incorporated.
• Continue to add milk until the desired consistency is reached.

 

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