Browned Butter Banana Rum Cupcakes

Browned butter is a wonderful ingredient. It was used a lot in vintage recipes because it gives a lot of flavor easily. In these cupcakes the butter adds a rich, nutty, caramel flavor that pairs nicely with the very sweet penuche frosting.  Although the frosting has coconut and pecans it is more like pralines than the traditional frosting for German Chocolate cake.

The frosting is very thick and has a creamy fudge-like consistency. It is best just to spoon a dollop on the top rather than trying to spread it. You wouldn’t believe how amazing the house smells while these are baking.

Oh, as with all things banana, the more ripe the banana the more flavor you will get from this. The cake itself is not intensely sweet but it is a good backdrop to the penuche. The cake is moist and a little sticky, with flavors of sweet banana and rum. The penuche is intensely sweet with a rich flavor and texture. The whole package is about as addictive as a cupcake can get – at least they didn’t last long here.

Of the cupcakes I have made  I think these and the Red Velvet and Cheesecake Marble are my two favorites.

Browned Butter Banana Rum Cupcakes

Makes 16

• 2 cups of flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp rum flavoring or substitute  1/4 cup of the milk with 1/4 cup of rum
• 1 cup milk
• 2 ripe bananas mashed

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325, place cupcake liners in muffin tins
2. Mix dry ingredients and set aside
3. Heat butter on the stove until it melts, stirring constantly. Continue to stir and cook until it becomes a dark golden brown. Strain and cool
4. Mix eggs and sugar until well blended
5. Add browned butter and beat until smooth
6. Add vanilla and rum flavoring
7. Beat in the banana
8. Add the flour in three parts, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour
9. Spoon into muffin tins and bake until done, about 20 minutes
10. Cool and frost with Browned Butter Penuche Frosting

Browned Butter Penuche Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• About 1/4 cup buttermilk, heated
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 cup coconut

1. Melt butter in pan until it becomes a golden brown
2. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar melts and mixture comes to a boil
3. Remove from heat
4. Stir in hot buttermilk until smooth
5. Let cool
6. Beat in confectioners sugar and vanilla until smooth
7. Stir in coconut and pecans, use a little more buttermilk or confectioners to get the right consistency
8. Add a spoonful to the top of each cupcake and press in a pecan half. Sprinkle with coconut