banana cupcakes with honey cinnamon buttercream

these are the best cupcakes jason has ever had. better than red velvet, butterfinger topped with ganache buttercream, brown sugar poundcakes with brown butter icing, dr. pepper cake, and the most shocking - better than classic chocolate with peanut butter icing. these banana cupcakes aren't just banana bread, dished out in individual portions topped with buttercream. they're soft and light, everything you would expect from a good cake, spiced up perfectly with cinnamon and nutmeg, and topped with one of my favorite buttercreams.

banana cupcakes with honey cinnamon buttercream
cake adapted from a dash of sass, buttercream adapted from martha stewart's cupcakes
1 hour, makes 24 cupcakes

for the cake:
2 1/4 cup cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (approximately 3-4 bananas, very ripe)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoon dark rum

for the buttercream:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. make the cakes. preheat oven to 350F. line two muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. in a large bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.
3. in a separate bowl, mix the bananas, milk, vanilla and rum and set aside.
4. in a third bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. add the eggs and mix until incorporated.
5. add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter sugar mixture, then a third of the wet ingredients. continue alternating adding dry and wet ingredients until all are combined.
6. fill prepared muffin tins about three quarters full.
7. bake about 18 minutes. cool in the pan about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. while the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream by mixing all ingredients until incorporated. whip for a minute or two until light and fluffy.
9. once the cakes are cool, ice with the buttercream. store in an airtight container.

2013.08.05 this is claire k creations pick for the secret recipe club!