Banana Pudding Cupcakes

I bake because I love it and lately I have been in a baking funk.  Ask my friends there are two funks that you don't want me to be in-a baking funk and a running funk (however, they probably hate the baking funk more because they get a grumpy Brittany AND they don't get baked goods). All I needed was to mix it up a little and try a new recipe - enter a banana pudding cupcake recipe for a co-worker's birthday!  I was told her favorite dessert was banana pudding so I took to pinterest to find the perfect new recipe to try out and I have to say pinterest did not let me down. I think it is safe to say the banana pudding cupcakes were a hit! The only thing I would change next time would be to make more than one batch. No worries this will be a REPEAT recipe throughout the summer!

Banana Pudding Cupcakes recipe originally from Spicy Southern Kitchen

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg, room temperature

2 eggs yolks, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup vanilla wafer crumbs

Whip Cream the recipe called for 1 container of frozen whipped topping but I chose to make it fresh, recipe below

12 whole vanilla wafers

Pudding Filling Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 ripe banana, cut into thin slices and then diced

Whipped Cream Frosting Ingredients

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps

1. Pre-heat oven to 350, line cupcake tin with paper liners.

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add butter, sour cream, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds, until smooth.

4. Divide batter equally among the cupcake tins and bake for 18-22 minutes I turn the pan halfway through baking.  Let the cupcakes cool before proceeding.

5. Create a hollowed out portion in each cupcake, be careful to leave a layer of cupcake across the bottom I used a cupcake corer to make my holes, very helpful!

6. Sprinkle vanilla wafer crumbs in each cupcake hole.

7. Beat together cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk for 2-3 minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

8. Add milk, vanilla extract and pudding mix and beat until mixed together.  Stir in bananas by hand. Immediately spoon into cupcakes I used my icing gun with the piping attachment to fill the cupcakes, a huge help and allowed me to not only fill the cupcakes but also add a layer on top before topping with whipped cream.
9. Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until whipped cream is thick enough to stand.
10. Using a pastry bag or an icing gun frost the cupcakes with whipped cream and garnish with vanilla wafer crumbs and a full wafer.

Enjoy!