Banoffee Cupcakes

My work colleagues do pretty well when I get the baking urge, as I very often end up taking the end result into work to share out.  My friend Val's kids go particularly mad for banana muffins (they often end up getting their own side order) but I came up with these as a variation.  They are INCREDIBLY SWEET because of the fudge-style topping - I had to have a strong coffee with mine to provide a contrast - don't say I didn't warn you!  Because of this and because of the addition of mashed banana to the basic cake mixture, I've cut down on the amount of butter and sugar used in the cakes.  It's a good one for using up over-ripe bananas (the blacker the better) - I freeze them until I need them because I'm a bit eccentric like that.

The frosting comes from Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas' "Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery" and is half the quantity in the original recipe (you'd probably better book a dentist's appointment at the same time as buying one their cakes then).  It sets very quickly (the wonky rice paper toppers in the photo are like that because the frosting had already set and I had to stick them down with a small blob of royal icing).  This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Banana cakes:
75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
75g caster sugar
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 medium eggs
125g self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Caramel frosting:
30g unsalted butter
3 tablespoons milk
110g light soft brown sugar
120g icing sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/Gas Mark 4.  Line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases.
2. Beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale, light and fluffy.  Beat in the mashed banana.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each egg.  Fold in the remaining flour and baking powder with a large metal spoon, until there is no flour left visible.  The mixture will look slightly curdled at this point, don't worry.
4. Divide the mixture between the cupcake case and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cakes are golden and spring back when you gently press them with a finger.  Leave them to cool on a wire rack.
5. Once the cakes are cooled, get on with making the frosting.  Place the butter, brown sugar and milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring continually.  Let it boil for about 1 minute, still stirring.
6. Remove this sauce from  the heat and whisk in half the icing sugar.  Leave it stand for around 1 minute, then whisk in the vanilla extract and remaining icing sugar.
7. Spread the frosting over the cakes whilst still warm as it will cool and set very quickly.  Add any toppings (eg: banana chips, crushed Dime bars) whilst the frosting is still soft.