Banana Cupcakes – Kapukeke Maika
Who doesn’t love a quick banana cupcake recipe to use up those old maika (bananas) that have gone manky in the fruit bowl? I created this recipe for Pic’s peanut butter last year and created the most divine peanut butter buttercream to top them with. You can also have them plain and warm straight from the oven or try them with my cinnamon buttercream.
If you wanted a dairy free version, swap out the sour cream for a dairy free yogurt and top with my dairy-free chocolate buttercream.
Just a note here, I have made the muffins in 16 small cardboard cases. These are wonderful to bake in (especially if you are giving the baking away) as they keep the muffins moist. However, you can bake them in muffin tins lined with paper liners which will yield 12 medium sized cupcakes.
Do I need to add the tiakarete (chocolate)?
Kāo – no, but who doesn’t love gooey chocolate in their banana cupcakes? If you want to omit the chocolate all together – go for it. If you want to swap the chocolate pieces for 3/4 C of kota tiakarete (chocolate chips) – go for that option! As always, make the recipe the way that brings you joy!
Why do you use rotten maika (bananas)?
The rotten maika (bananas) have the deepest flavour for baking. If you don’t believe me, use fresh bananas and prepare yourself for mild tasting, uninspiring cupcakes! In our whānau (family), we always put blackening bananas in the freezer for safe keeping. When we are ready to use them we just take them out of the freezer and let the defrost in the fridge over-night or defrost them in the microwave.
I don’t have any kirīmi kawa (sour cream).
Kei te pai – all good! If kirīmi kawa (sour cream) is nowhere to be found in your kāuta (kitchen) as it is often not in mine, you can sub it out for 1/3 cup of miraka tepe (yogurt). If you don’t have any miraka tepe (yogurt) you can replace it with 1/4 cup of miraka (milk).
Banana Cupcakes – Kapukeke Maika
Ingredients
The Banana Cupcakes – Ngā Kapukeke Maika
- 3 panana pīrau āhua nui (medium sized rotten bananas)
- 2 hēki (eggs)
- 2 tsp wanira (vanilla)
- ½ C huka hāura (brown sugar)
- ½ C noni ōriwa (olive oil or any neutral oil)
- ⅓ C kirīma kawa (sour cream or yogurt)
- ¼ tsp tote (salt, fine)
- 1 ¼ C puehu parāoa whakatipu (self-raising flour)
- ¾ tsp pēkana houra (baking soda)
- 16 – 32 tiakarete karamea (caramel filled chocolate, optional)
Decorations – Ngā Whakarākei (all optional)
- 1 quantity peanut butter buttercream
- 50 g tiakarete kua rewaina (melted chocolate)
- ⅓ C pīnati kua tapahia (chopped peanuts)
- 16 kotakota maika (banana chips)
- 8 wafers (spilt in half and cut in to two)
- 2 tbsp pata pīnati māeneene (smooth peanut butter)
Instructions
The Banana Cupcakes – Ngā Kapukeke Maika
- Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees.
- Peel and mash the maika (bananas) in a large bowl. Once they are mashed, the bananas should measure a rounded cup full.
- Add both of the hēki (eggs) and the wanira (vanilla) to the maika kua penupenua (mashed bananas). Whisk it all together until smooth.
- To the banana mix, add the huka hāura (brown sugar), noni ōriwa (olive oil), kirīmi kawa (sour cream or yogurt) and tote (salt). Whisk it again until smooth.
- Into another large bowl, sift the puehu parāoa whakatipu (self-raising flour) and pēkana paura (baking soda).
- Once sifted, pour all of the ranunga maika (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold it all together until everything is combined.
- Divide the mixture into the cupcake cases, you should get 16 small ones or 12 medium sized ones. As an option, place one or two pieces of tiakarete karamea (caramel chocolate) in the centre of each cupcake.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes in a 150 degree oven until they spring back when pressed in the middle. You can eat them warm straight from the oven or follow my decoration process.
Decorations – Ngā Whakarākei (all optional)
- Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe or spread on the peanut butter buttercream.
- Pipe or drizzle over tiakarete kua rewaina (melted chocolate), sprinkle with nati kua tapahia (chopped nuts), slide in a titipi maika (banana chip), a cut wafer and drizzle with pata pīnati (peanut butter)!
Best cupcakes I’ve ever made! Usually I’d make a dozen and there’d always be a few left after a day or 2. My family nailed these in a day and asked for more. Bookmarking this recipe. Thanks!
Oh Jess, so stoked to hear this awesome feedback! My whānau love these too so I’m so glad yours do too!
It’s gilding the lily a bit on what is a lovely recipe, but I recommend oven roasting the bananas in their skin (pierce the skins with a knife so they don’t explode) until the skins are black. Let the bananas cool before squeezing the roast banana flesh and juices. The skins don’t smell great, but the caramelisation intensifies the banana flavour.
What a great idea if you are not using black bananas! Love it!
Who could resist a quick banana cupcake recipe, especially when it’s the perfect way to use up those overripe bananas? I love that you created this for Pic’s peanut butter—peanut butter buttercream sounds absolutely divine! And with the option to enjoy them warm and plain from the oven or with a cinnamon buttercream twist, these cupcakes are truly versatile and delicious. It’s the ultimate treat for banana lovers!