Minnie mouse cupcakes

(makes 12)

Banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron

I don't know where the last two years have flown, but suddenly my little girl is two years old! It's been the most beautiful and challenging two years but I wouldn't swap it for anything. It is amazing how God uses little ones to keep us young and grow us old at the same time, give us unimaginable joys in the smallest moments (like learning to speak, saying I love you for the first time, giving a cuddle, every little giggle and laugh) but also test our patience daily in the tiniest, most tedious of matters (like eating a piece of broccoli, helping to floss a few teeth, trying to get to bed at a decent hour). I can't complain though, this little girl that God has given us has such a kind, gentle, compassion, loving, playful, cheerful and sweet spirit that we are so so blessed to have her in our lives. We love her to bits!

We weren't going to do a party, but in the end decided to do a small gathering (with cake) with her little friends at her favourite park. Praise God for a beautiful warm day and for so many wonderful friends to hang out with. Minnie Mouse is her favourite soft toy character, so after a bit of googling, we tried to make something resembling Minnie. I reduced the sugar to make it slightly more child friendly but still a special treat, especially the cream cheese frosting - definitely only special occasions!

Hubby did the cake but I attempted the cupcakes

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
80 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 overripe bananas, measured to get 3/4 cup
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk (or use 3/4 cup plain milk + 3/4 Tbsp vinegar)

Cream Cheese Frosting

60 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

250 g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (do not use low fat)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or use 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups icing sugar

4 drops red food colouring (for pink frosting)

24 mini Oreos (about 4 mini packs)
Mini marshmallows
Pink and white edible pearl beads

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Line a 12-cavity muffin pan with cupcake liners (we used pink polka dot ones for this occasion) and set aside. 

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, using hand mixers, beat together the butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Mash over-ripe bananas and measure to make sure you have exactly 3/4 cup. Beat in the bananas to the batter until smooth. Add in the full egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.

My grubby little helper

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating additions with the buttermilk (Add half the dry, half the buttermilk, rest of the dry, rest of the buttermilk). Beat after each addition until the ingredients are just incorporated, being careful to not over-mix.

5. Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven about 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted into centre of cupcake comes out clean. Cool in muffin tin for several minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

For the frosting:

6. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Using a hand mixer, cream together the room temperature butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until completely smooth. Mix in vanilla extract, sea salt and cinnamon. With mixer running on low speed, slowly add icing sugar and beat until well blended and smooth. Put 4 drops of red food colouring and stir through. Chill the frosting while the cupcakes finish cooling.

The cheekiest "I want a muffin and more icing, please mummy" face

7. Pipe cupcakes with cream cheese frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Decorate each one with edible pearls, 2 mini oreos (for ears) and a mini marshmallow bow. 

Step-by-step marshmallow bow, took us a few go's to work out something half decent, go husband! :)

First taste of cream-cheese frosting, definitely love!