Cupcake Hero, Banana - Hummingbird Cupcakes

First entry to cupcake hero is the hummingbird cupcake...I was asked "Um, if your in the mood to make cupcakes on Thursday, it's my birthday." his favorite, hummingbird of course....so how could I not combine the Cupcake Hero challenge with his request?? It would be a sin.

My recipe is from the Elinor Klivans cookbook, "Cupcakes". I topped it off with my cream cheese buttercream and a glazed pecan. Once again, I did not eat one as I am still on a diet. My daughter has been my official taste tester today. I think she's starting to resent me......ANYWAYS, here is the recipe....try it and enjoy it for me.

Hummingbird Cupcakes
by Elinor Klivans

2 1/2 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
8 0z sour cream
1 cup mashed bananas
1 cup drained crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped pecans

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees, line cupcake tin - I got 28 out of this recipe

Sift flour, b powder, b soda, salt and cinnamon together into bowl and set aside.

In mixer on medium beat eggs and sugar til light and fluffy, approx 2 minutes. on low mix in oil and vanilla, then mix in sourcream until just incorporated. Stir in dry mixture until incorporated (I bump the mixer up to med for 12 seconds, a trick I learned from Warren Brown's cookbook). Then fold in banana, pineapple and pecans.

fill tins 2/3 full, bake 20-23 minutes.

Cream Cheese Buttercream
by me, mind you this is enough to frost all of these cupcakes, plus the banana butterscotch cupcakes.

3 sticks unsalted butter
1 stick salted butter
12 oz cream cheese
12 - 14 cups powdered sugar (sifted) (just under 2 - 2 # bags)
1 Tbsp vanilla
pinch salt
1/4 -1/2 cup cream (use milk, half and half, cream whatever you have)

cream together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, add sugar (Okay, I have a covered mixer, so I can add it all at once with no mess, but if you don't add it gradually or youll never see the end of your powdered sugar dust ball of a house). Add in vanilla salt and cream and beat until light and fluffy.
Now, you are gonna wanna play with the amount of powdered sugar and cream. the more cream you add, the less stiff the frosting will be. I like it to be stiff and crust for me, so I add more sugar and less cream. if you like it on the creamier side, then add less sugar and more cream....get the picture? It's all up to you.

I topped it off with a glazed pecan....now normally, I make my own...search my blog, you'll see the recipe....but today, I used a store bought one. shame.