Professor Butter Beard’s Roasted Banana, Honey and Blueberry Cupcakes
Two Dozen Cupcakes
½ cup almond slices, toasted and cooled
4 ripe bananas
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
12 Tbsp ( 1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs, separated
¾ cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 cup fresh blueberries
Honey Buttercream:
4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ cup (4 Tbsp) honey
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line two muffin tins with liners. Toast the almond slices and set aside to cool. Sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, fine sea salt and nutmeg. Place the four bananas on a baking sheet and roast them for 15 minutes until the skins have completely blackened. Set aside to cool and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
2) In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the five egg whites to soft peak. Use a spatula to slip the beaten whites into a large bowl. Set at the ready. Return the mixing bowl to the mixer and add the paddle attachment.
3) On high speed, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Lower the speed and add the five egg yolks, one at a time. Add the peeled roasted bananas and vanilla paste and beat to combine. Add the dry mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of the buttermilk. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the egg whites, then the toasted almonds and fresh blueberries.
4) Divide the batter between the lined cups, filling them ¾ full. Bake for twenty minutes or so, rotating the pans halfway through. The cupcakes are done when the tops are set and spring back to the touch. Cool completely on a wire rack before piping on the honey buttercream frosting.
5) For the honey buttercream, beat all ingredients in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth. Use immediately.
