Marbled Banana Cupcakes are filled with creamy and decadent Banana Pudding, then topped with Ermine Buttercream and a homemade Vanilla Wafer Cookie. The Ermine Buttercream is also known as Flour Buttercream and is not overly sweet, so it doesn’t overpower the other elements in the cupcake, letting the banana flavor shine! And the Vanilla Wafer Cookies on top are an extra treat that makes the whole experience of eating and making these cupcakes so tasty and so much fun!
Makes 16 cupcakes.
Marbled Banana Cupcakes
- ½ cup (85 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1¾ cups (221 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) mashed banana (about 2 bananas)
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Banana Pudding
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- ¾ cup (150 g) chopped banana (about 1 banana)
- ½ vanilla bean, split in half
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tbsp (7 g) unsalted butter
Ermine Buttercream (Flour Buttercream)
- 6 tbsp (46 g) flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1⅓ cups (320 ml) milk
- ⅔ cup (112 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1⅓ cups (300 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Wafer Cookie
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (62 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
To prepare the Marbled Banana Cupcakes, begin by preheating the oven to 350°F (177°C) and lining 16 cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
Next, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt it in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted. Set it aside to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture becomes creamy and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing each egg until fully combined before adding the next. Gently mix in the mashed banana, followed by the milk and vanilla extract until well incorporated. Gradually pour the dry ingredients into the bowl and fold them in using a spatula until fully combined.
Divide the cupcake batter by pouring three-fourths of it into the melted chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon some of the white batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Then, layer with a spoonful of the chocolate batter, followed by another spoonful of the white batter, and finally top it off with a bit more of the chocolate batter. This method ensures that the batter is layered and marbled evenly throughout the cupcakes.
Bake the cupcakes for approximately 18 minutes, starting to check their doneness at the 15-minute mark, and continuing to monitor as needed. To determine if the cupcakes are ready, gently press the tops with your finger; if they spring right back, they are done baking. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before proceeding with filling and frosting.
For the Banana Pudding, begin by placing the milk, chopped banana, and vanilla bean seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to nearly a boil. Once you notice the first few bubbles forming, remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan and allow the banana and milk to infuse for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight in the fridge. Once infused, return the pan to medium heat and reheat the mixture until hot.
While the milk reheats, whisk the egg yolks together with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Strain the heated milk into another bowl, taking care to prevent any banana pieces from passing through the strainer. Gently press the bananas to extract as much milk as possible from the solids without allowing them to pass through.
Gradually pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the hot milk into the yolk mixture while continuously whisking. This process, known as tempering the eggs, involves slowly incorporating the hot mixture into the yolks to prevent them from cooking. Continue adding the remaining milk slowly, whisking the custard continuously.
Once all the milk has been incorporated into the yolks, transfer the entire mixture back to the saucepan used to heat the milk, passing it through a strainer to remove any cooked bits of yolk or banana pieces. Place the pan over medium heat and begin cooking, stirring continuously.
Continue to heat the mixture while stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, ensuring thorough scraping of the sides and bottom of the pan. The custard will gradually thicken. Initially, it may appear lumpy, but continue stirring over medium heat, and after about a minute, the mixture should become thick like a cream and smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter (and vanilla extract, if using), stirring until fully combined. Transfer the custard to a small bowl, cover it with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming as it cools, and place it in the refrigerator to chill completely.
To prepare the Ermine Buttercream, combine the flour, granulated sugar, and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously as you bring the mixture to a boil. Once it begins bubbling, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened.
Remove the pan from the heat and continue whisking for another minute to aid in cooling the mixture. Transfer the thick paste to a bowl and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Allow the paste to cool to room temperature, which typically takes a couple of hours.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth and completely melted. Set it aside to cool completely.
Once the flour paste has cooled completely, place the butter in a bowl and beat it with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until it becomes fluffy and lightened in color. Add the cooled paste to the butter and beat for an additional 2 minutes, until the buttercream achieves a thick and creamy consistency. Incorporate the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
Divide the buttercream into two separate bowls. Add the melted and cooled chocolate to one of the bowls and mix with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined.
To prepare the Vanilla Wafer Cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
In a bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed for approximately 3 minutes, until the mixture becomes fluffy and lightened in color. Add the milk and vanilla extract, stirring until thoroughly combined. Next, add the flour and salt to the mixture, folding them in with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated and a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a piping bag and snip the end to create a hole about ½ inch (1 cm) in diameter, or use a piping tip. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in circles about ¾ inch (2 cm) in diameter. Bake the cookies in the oven until they turn golden, approximately 15 minutes.
To assemble the cupcakes, start by using a spoon to carefully remove the center of each cupcake. Spoon a portion of the Banana Pudding into the center of each cupcake.
Next, prepare the frosting. Place the plain Ermine Frosting into one piping bag and the chocolate Ermine Frosting into another piping bag. Snip the ends of both piping bags and insert them into a larger piping bag fitted with the desired tip.
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, applying equal pressure on all sides to ensure that both frostings come out simultaneously, creating a bicolor frosting effect. Decorate each cupcake with the Vanilla Wafer Cookies.
The cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Note: If you prefer, you can use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean. In this case, add the vanilla extract after you have finished cooking the pudding and removed it from the heat.
