Can't Miss Banana Cupcakes

I was looking for a quick and easy recipe to use up some of the banana's in the freezer and some banana chips I bought at Trader Joe's that I wanted to decorate cupcakes with (I really only bought the banana chips for the sole purpose of decorating cupcakes with them). This recipe was very easy to make and required minimal ingredients, nothing special or fancy required, all staples you would have in your pantry so that made it a winner right there. I was very happy with the way the cupcakes turned out, I say they were very similar to a banana bread, they were very moist. The frosting on top is what finished them off and made them an even sweeter treat.

One thing I will say is that I made the frosting with my hand mixer, what a mess, never again. I've now made these cupcakes twice. The first time I followed the recipe and made 12 cupcakes, I was too lazy to break out the other muffin tin, but they were HUGE, perhaps a little too big. The second time I stretched them out a little further and made about 16, which was much better, the size was much more appropriate, plus gives you a few more cupcakes, and a few less calories in each one, although not that you'd be counting with these. It's def a good recipe which I would surely make again if I were in the mood for a sweet banana treat.

Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
Source: Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana, for garnish (optional)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread tops with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting. Just before serving, peel and slice banana into rounds, and place one on each cupcake, if desired. (I used Trader Joe banana chips on the top of mine with some crushed graham crackers)

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat confectioners' sugar, unsalted butter, honey, and ground cinnamon until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.