Disappointing Chocolate-Mocha and Out-of-this-World Banana-Honey Cupcakes

This weekend we had a graduation party for my sister and I was put in charge of making cupcakes.  I decided on a chocolate-mocha cupcake (one of the grad's all-time favorites) and a honey-banana cupcake (something different).  I was searching around for the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe, and found a pretty satisfactory (what I thought was satisfactory)  one from Brown-Eyed-Baker.  


It looked really good from the pictures, and the ingredients seemed very high-quality.  I baked a batch of 24 (really made 28) and they looked great, smelled great, they were soft, etc.  I whipped up the mocha frosting (which I use the same recipe for each time...love it!) and piped on the frosting.  When I served these and people started filling out the review card, I got a lot of "It was dry." I totally agreed.  It was so dry, and when I bit into it, it fell apart.  The frosting it to die for, so this was a real disappointment.  


As for the banana-honey, this was also from Brown-Eyed-Baker, but it was a real crowd pleaser and everyone loved it.  It was firm, yet moist and delicate.  Perfect.  The review card got awesome reviews, how the level of banana was perfect, they honey frosting was so sweet, but not fake sweet b/c of the honey...all great stuff.  I will definitely be making these babies again.  


Here are the recipes and pictures.  I will give you the chocolate cake recipe, but I will warn you, it is not good.  If I do find my perfect chocolate cupcake recipe, I will do a "take two" of the chocolate-mocha cupcakes.


Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 18-20 minutes | Cooling Time: 45 minutes

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1.5 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ cup (3.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325 degrees F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.

5. Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Recipe from Brown-Eyed-Baker

Mocha Frosting

Yield: Enough to frost 24 cupcakes, or fill & frost 12 cupcakes.
1/3c. butter, room temp.
4 1/2c. powdered sugar
1/2c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4c. milk
1T. instant coffee crystals (with more or less depending on how strong you want your coffee flavor)
1 1/2 t. vanilla

In a bowl, beat butter until fluffy.  Gradually add 2 c. sugar and cocoa.  Add the instant coffee to the milk and let stand 3 min, stir well.  Add this mixture to the butter, sugar, and cocoa mixture.  Slowly beat remaining sugar.  Beat in additional milk, if need, to make spreading/piping consistency.

Banana Cupcakes 

Recipe from Brown-Eyed-Baker

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 20 to 25 minutes

For the Banana Cupcakes:
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1¾ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
½ cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs, and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again and add the bananas. Beat until just combined. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.

4. Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on the rack to cool completely.

Honey Frosting

Yield: frosts about 24-30 cupcakes | Time: about 15-20min.

Recipe adapted from instructables

4 1/2c. powdered sugar

3/4c. butter

1 1/3c. honey

1t. vanilla

Mix honey and butter until thoroughly combined.  Gradually add powdered sugar until combined, the beat in vanilla.  If too liquidy, add more sugar and milk by 1/2 teaspoons too soften.  If there isn't enough honey flavor, add more honey (but the flavor should be fine).

These banana-honey cupcakes were AMAZING.  So perfectly moist, yet dense.

Enjoy♥