"Elvis" Cupcakes: Peanut Butter & Banana

Recently I was invited to a potluck cook out at my church so I used it as an excuse to come up with something pretty to make. We had collected just a ton of overripe bananas  in our freezer so I thought it might be time to use some up. Most of my banana recipes are breakfast oriented so I thought I'd try my hand at some cupcakes. Immediately the idea of "Elvis" cupcakes came to mind combining banana cake with peanut butter frosting. 

Funny story? So I bring said cupcakes to the cook out with the label "Elvis Cupcakes" describing them as banana cake with peanut butter frosting and I had at least three people ask me what that had to do with Elvis (maybe you're wondering the same thing). I was shocked! I thought Elvis' love of fried peanut butter & banana sandwiches was common knowledge... but perhaps Elvis has lost his grip on pop culture trivia. Learn more about Elvis' love of fatty foods in this great NPR story or watch this super awkward Elvis impersonator making his own version. 

Anyway! Here goes the recipe. 

Elvis Peanut Butter & Banana Cupcakes
click above for an easy print version

Ingredients:
For the cupcake from ilovepeanutbutter.com
1 very ripe banana
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 whole eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons very soft, unsalted butter

For the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup whipping cream 

For the butter-fried breadcrumbs (if you're feeling fancy):
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Mash together the banana and lemon juice until smooth, then whisk in the eggs. In another bowl, use a fork to whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat in the butter until well incorporated. Add the banana and egg mixture and mix until just combined.

Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake so that your cupcakes don't come out dry. 

Allow to cool completely and pipe on the icing. 

For the icing, combine the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. 

If you're feeling fancy, take a few minutes to fry some panko breadcrumbs with butter and a bit of sugar and a pinch of salt to sprinkle over the top. Be sure to let them cool before sprinkling on your cupcakes. 

Beautiful and delicious!

Boy that Elvis had something going. Now you can share a little Elvis history with your friends. 

curly girl thinks you should eat one

Potluck Day!

I work with these amazing people. Really. We've had some crazy times in our office. Really. Somehow we manage to stay sane and keep it together. One of the ways we cope and celebrate whenever we have an excuse is to host a POTLUCK! 

Not from the midwest? Potlucks are part of our culture! Everyone brings a dish to pass and you spend the day chatting and grazing (I mean...working). You never know what you're going to get, but I tell you, the folks in our office take potlucks to a new level! Every event is an opportunity to display their incredible creativity and originality so I thought, wouldn't this make a great blog post?! (...and I don't even have to do the cooking!)

So here it is... check out a typical potluck day and some great recipes from some pretty incredible people.

Click the titles below the pictures for easy-print recipes.

Homemade Soft Pretzels by Joel with dip from Wildtree

Even the gentlemen get in on the action in our office. No one can compete with the breadmaking mastery of Joel. These awesome little pretzel bites were as beautiful as they were delicious. For a twist, Joel made the pretzels into 1x2 inch pretzel bites so they were perfect for dipping.

Mary's Quinoa Salad

Isn't quinoa (keen-wah) just the "it" food right now? Fiber, iron, lysine and protein--this supergrain is taking health food markets by storm. Combine it with some other super foods like spinach and almonds and a touch of sweet yogurt, lemon and cherries and it's a perfect trendy treat. 

Peanut Butter Cup Bars from Sarah

It just wouldn't be a midwestern potluck without some "bars." [insert Minnesota accent here] We always invite our students to join in and chow but never expect them to spend their time and money on feeding us pros. Our sweet student Sarah shared this awesome treat with us--a nice twist on a Reese's and so much better!

Mediterranean Layer Dip from Angie

We have a few staff members who work from off-site offices in the Minneapolis metro area so sadly they're usually not able to participate. Fortunately for us this potluck was to welcome a new member of their team so they drove up to join us (...for training, not just the potluck). To continue the healthy options, Angie brought this super healthy layer dip (served with sliced cucumbers) and Jess brought a delicious fruit salsa with cinnamon-sugar pita chips. Sure glad they could be here!

Jess's Fruit Salsa

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced

8 oz raspberries, diced

1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced

4 tsp Truvia, or other natural sweetener (original recipe called for 2 TB white sugar & 1 TB brown sugar)

1 TB raspberry jalapeno preserve (original called for 3 TB fruit preserves, any flavor)

Serve with cinnamon pita chips!

Nina's Mango Pineapple Fruit Salsa

What did I bring? Apparently Jess and I were on the same wave length...as so often happens with potlucks! I brought a spicier version of fruit salsa with my Mango Pineapple Fruit Salsa.

1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and diced (about two cups)
2 medium mangoes, peeled, cored and diced (about two cups)
1/2 small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 small jalapeno, diced (take out the seeds and ribs for less spice)
2-3 TB chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Adjust ingredients to taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let flavors combine. I served with multigrain tortilla chips but it's awesome with pita chips, on top of salads or chicken or white fish. 

There were at least another half-dozen items shared by the team but I didn't get a chance to capture them all... guess that means I better make this a series. :)

Thanks everyone for sharing your recipes with me! 

Can't wait for the next potluck! You know, the 4th of July is coming up. I smell a red, white & blue theme. Just saying...