Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

For my husband's birthday today I made him cupcakes. I was going to make him a version of the peanut butter monkey cake he had at The Fish Bowl restaurant, but he was convinced I would modify the ingredients so much it would not taste the same. Plus, I always find having a cake in our home very intimidating, and we get tired of it quickly.

Cake is meant to be eaten by a lot of people in one sitting, not by two people over the span of a couple weeks. Cupcakes, somehow, feel more inviting. Of course, you are likely to eat more than one during the day, so they might worse for your health. My kids find cupcakes easier to eat than a piece of cake, and they usually help us finish this dessert faster.

What I decided to do was take the idea of a triple layer cake, with frosting, and do it as a cupcake. I put banana cake batter on the bottom, sprinkled a few Reeses Pieces on top, and poured the chocolate cake batter over the candies. I baked these, and when the cupcakes cooled, I frosted them with peanut butter icing.

Here's the recipe. I modified it from the one at the Betty Crocker website. http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-banana-peanut-butter-delight/61b6f853-56de-403e-adc0-9d8a77957217

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line two 12 cup cupcake trays with paper liners.

Banana Cake

Ingredients: 1/2 cup (125mL) sugar. 1/2 cup (125mL) butter, softened. 1 egg. 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla. 2 bananas, mashed. 1/4 cup (60mL) greek yoghurt. 1 cup (250mL) flour. 1/2 tsp (2mL) baking soda. 1/2 tsp (2mL) baking powder. 1/4 tsp (1mL) salt.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, banana, and yoghurt, and beat until fully incorporated. Beat in the remaining ingredients.

Chocolate Cake ( I cheated, and used a cake mix, but here's a decent from scratch recipe)

Ingredients: 1/4 cup (60mL) butter, softened. 1/2 cup (125mL) sugar. 1 egg. 1 1/2 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate, melted. 2/3 cup (80mL) buttermilk. 1/2 tsp (5mL) vanilla. 1 cup (250mL) flour. 1/2 tsp (2mL) baking soda. 1/4 tsp (1mL) salt. 1/4 cup (60mL) greek yoghurt

Cream together butter and sugar . Beat in the egg. Beat in chocolate, milk and vanilla. Beat in remaining cake ingredients.

Fill the cupcakes 1/3 full with banana cake batter. Sprinkle a few chocolate covered peanut butter candies on top. Fill to about 2/3 full with chocolate cake batter. Bake cupcakes in oven at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted, comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes on a rack for an hour. Ice the cakes with Peanut Butter Frosting, and top with a candy.

I used leftover buttercream icing (standard recipe with butter, icing sugar, and milk), and added peanut butter to taste, but you can follow the recipe from the Betty Crocker website.

In medium bowl, beat 1 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in 1cup creamy (or crunchy) peanut butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in remaining 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, beating after each addition until smooth.

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