325g/ 11.5 oz1½ cups mashed banana - about 3 large very ripe bananas
1teaspoonvanilla extract
8.8oz/ 250g AP flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonground cinnamon
½tspallspice
¼tspnutmeg
¼tspcloves
5oz/ 140g1 cup raisins
1teaspoonsalt
¼cupmilkor buttermilk
Apricot Frosting
20ozwhite chocolate
9ozapricot jamI used jam because fresh apricots aren’t always in season and jam is easier to find
6 - 8tbspunsalted buttersoftened
1/3cupcold whipping cream
Apricot Glaze
3heaping tbsp apricot jam
About 1 - 2 tsp water
Instructions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Prepare two, 12 cup muffin pans with cupcake liners (only 22). Set aside until cupcake batter is ready
Peel the over-ripe bananas and completely mash them. Measure out 11.5 oz of the mashed banana (about 1 ½ cups) and set aside.
Add the butter, oil, sugars into a bowl and using a hand held mixer, mix the ingredients until they have been creamed.
Add the eggs, one at a time - mixing well between each addition, and mix them through the batter. Add the mashed banana and vanilla and mix those through as well, using the mixer.
Place the sifted flour, spices, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk till well-combined.
Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold through. Add the milk and mix through. Add another ⅓ of the dry ingredients and fold through. If the mix is REALLY thick, add a little more milk.
Add the raisins to the remaining flour and mix. Add this raisins and flour mix and fold through.
Scoop the batter onto the cupcake liners evenly, until they are about ⅔ of the way full, and fill all 22 cupcake liners. I used an mini cookie scoop to help me distribute the batter evenly.
Bake for about 15 -17 minutes until the cupcakes are done (a dry toothpick inserted should come out clean, and the top of the cupcakes will be springy to the touch at this point).
Remove from the oven and let them cool.
Frosting
Place the chocolate chips and jam in a microwave-proof bowl and heat in 20 second bursts until the chocolate has melted. Add half of the butter and a pinch of salt and mix it in to create a smooth chocolate ganache. Let it cool.
When the chocolate ganache is cool, but not hard, whisk it using a hand-held beater to whip the frosting. Add the softened butter and whipping cream and whip until it's completely incorporated and light.
Set aside for a few minutes, till the chocolate thickens so that it's pipeable.
Take one piping bag and insert a 2A swirl tip. Place the frosting in another piping bag. Snip the end off of the frosting filled bag (when ready to decorate cupcakes), and insert it into the piping bag with the tip.
Pipe a rosette swirl on each cupcake and drizzle some apricot glaze on top.
Optional - Pipe some pastel coloured flowers (see video!).
Apricot Glaze
Place the apricot jam and water in a small bowl and heat for a few seconds just to loosen the jam. Make sure it's not hot and then drizzle it on the cupcakes. Enjoy!