Banoffee Cupcakes

Recipe from carnation website:
http://www.carnation.co.uk/Recipes/36/Banoffee-Cupcakes

Delicious way to use up old bananas. Bit more extravagant than the slightly 'healthier' banana loaf I usually make with them, but since it was a bank holiday I thought I would treat myself and give this ago.

Ingredients:

• 2 very ripe bananas

• 125g self raising flour

• 100g buttery spread

• 100g caster sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1tsp baking powder

• 12 teaspoons Carnation Caramel

• Frosting

• 100g Carnation Caramel

• 300g icing sugar

• 85g buttery spread*

• Slices of banana, 3tbsp Carnation Caramel and chocolate shavings to decorate (optional)

see carnation website for method. 

Makes 12. Delicious and moist due to mashing the banana up and mixing it in with the cake mix.

Highly recommended recipe. This was my first attempt at piping icing, as I only invested in a piping set this morning. I watched a quick you tube tutorial to give me some pointers (see below), but it was much easier than I thought. I will definitely be trying some more adventurous piping techniques next time, it is an easy way to make cakes look super fancy, with little effort.I used the 'rose' technique for these ones, although I think my butter icing was a little too soft on this occasion, as it went 'melty' quite quickly, and It was difficult to get nice crisp lines from the piping.  

Great youtube video for cupcake icing decorating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYy2uiK6T94