Too many bananas this time...

Ok, so sometimes we're not so efficient at the weekly food shopping.  I'm not sure efficient is the correct word, but I mean we over-estimate our needs and so end up with too much of an item.  This time it was bananas, and what better way to use them than to bake?  Obviously, a smoothie comes to mind, but I don't really know how to do one healthily (they always have ice-cream and chocolate sauce, don't they?) and am bored of Banana Bread/Loaf cake (as are The whole Team). 

I wanted to try something from my other birthday book, Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache, so had a wee read through.  And discovered that not only did I not have any white rice flour, I didn't have a courgette (yes, seriously.  And that's a zucchini to you non-Europeans out there) and some other slightly obscure ingredient.  So back to the almost fail-safe Hummingbird book 1 and their Banana Chocolate cupcakes. 

Things seemed quite simple and straightforward but when it came to mashing the banana before adding it, I baulked.  Regrettably or otherwise, I simply don't like bananas.  Never have, as far as I can recall - I blame my mother (sorry Mum) as she can't stand the smell and as far as I can remember, didn't even have them in the house!  Suffice it to say, I don't want the kids growing up as fussy as I seem to be (but don't feel that I am) so we have them, and they eat them and love them - mostly.  Getting back to the point, I chickened out of mashing it and releasing more banana vapour and just cut it and popped it into the mixer.  Sooooo.... there were chunks of banana throughout the otherwise runny mixture, which went into 16 cases then into the oven.

Just a matter of minutes later, they came out - looking and smelling wonderful, thanks to the inclusion of a few spices in the mix.  I couldn't resist, so bit into one almost immediately - wow!  Soft and moist and fab.

Then onto the icing.  I'm still trying to copy the lovely fat icing swirl that Georgetown Cupcake have as their signature swirl (somewhat unsuccessfully I feel), so used my Wilton 1A nozzle and went for it.  What do you think?

I added a touch of gold lustre spray and chocolate decorations, and they were just delicious!!  A few friends taste-tested and loved them.  Mr Becca agreed but felt that he could hardly taste the banana (I know, great) but the girls felt there was something  not quite right about them, the spices I guessed.  Ah well, you can't please all of the people all of the time ;)

I took some around to my friend Jill, who runs Aspire2be creative photography and she took a fab photo of them.  What do you think?