Frosted Banana Bread Cupcakes

I had a couple of bananas that were getting a little too ripe and I really wanted to try banana bread cupcakes. These are great all by themselves (in which case they would be more like a muffin, and a wonderful breakfast food) or frosted (to become a delightful little dessert). This is my other "kid-approved" recipe. Our little friend that stopped by this morning ate 3. I think he liked them :-) Cupcakes (makes 12 regular size and 12 mini) Recipe from Eat, Live, Run 2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 extra-ripe bananas, mashed with a fork until smooth
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Frosting Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
5 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)
Since the icing has 2 steps, start it first.  In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If you’re in a hurry, place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.)

Now to the cupcakes... preheat your oven to 350 and line a cupcake pan.
Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy and then add the eggs, one at time, beating after each addition.
In a small bowl, combine the mashed banana with the vanilla and buttermilk and stir well until combined.
In a larger bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon).
Add the wet and dry ingredients alternately to the creamed butter, mixing well after each addition. This works best if you have a Kitchen Aid and keep it running on low the whole time.
Fill muffin tins about 3/4th of the way full and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.

While the cupcakes are in the oven, go back to the icing and cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla to the cooled milk/flour mixture.   Then add the cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.
NOTE:  The milk/flour/vanilla mixture MUST be cooled before you add it to the butter and sugar mixture.  Pioneer Woman did a wonderful step-by-step post about the icing, click here to see.

Frost. Enjoy!  **This frosting is a new favorite! I think it's kind of a mix between buttercream frosting and sweetened whipped cream. It's light and not overly sweet. It was the perfect match for these cupcakes!