The banana and chocolate combination, yum-o! I came up with these cupcakes while imagining everything I love about the banana split, the sweet and simple vanilla ice cream smothered in thick chocolate sauce, polished off with sweetened whipped cream and crunchy nuts. These are wonderful topped with fresh banana slices, but to make them shout banana split even more, they could be topped with maraschino cherries (unfortunately I didn't have any but they were amazingly delicious with fresh banana slices as well). So, take your pick of final garnish, cherry or banana. Also, feel free to throw everything on there you love on a banana split, change up the nut choice, add sprinkles or toffee bits and just have fun with it! That's the amazing thing about cooking, it's an art, you can make it exactly as you wish!
Banana Slit Cupcakes
Yields 16 cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 recipe banana cupcakes, found on my site here
3/4 cup chopped pecans or toffee bits
16 maraschino cherries, or 1 banana sliced
Chocolate Ganache:
2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Cook cupcakes according to directions (minus, vanilla pastry cream) and let cool 30 minutes. For ganache, place chocolate chips in a medium mixing bowl, set aside. In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium heat bringing just to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips, whisk until smooth. Allow ganache to cool slightly before pouring over cupcakes. Pour about 1/2 tablespoon full over over each cupcake. Allow to cool. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl with and electric mixer, whip whipping cream until soft peaks form. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form (keep whipped cream refrigerated until serving). Just before serving pipe sweetened whipped cream over cooled chocolate covered cupcakes and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Garnish each cupcake with a maraschino cherry or a fresh banana slice. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator, they will keep there shape about 3 hours before the cream starts to separate.
