Funfetti Banana Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
With freshly mashed banana and whipped raspberry puree, these cupcakes are packed with delightful fruity flavor.
These cupcakes are a party for the tastebuds. They are soft, full of banana flavor, studded with sprinkles and my favorite part, topped with a fresh raspberry cream cheese frosting. My family couldn’t get enough of that pretty pink icing, especially when it was paired with a soft springy cake. Oh, and did I mention the cupcakes are funfetti? For us sprinkle enthusiasts, that is the icing on the cake!
Ingredients and Equipment
These cupcakes can be made using a stand or handheld mixer. Other equipment includes, a 12-count cupcake pan, cupcake liners, and a sturdy spatula for scraping the bowl.
To make the raspberry frosting you will need a food processor and a fine mesh sieve.
Optional equipment includes piping bags and piping tips (depending on desired decoration). These cupcakes can be dressed up or dressed down. Either way they will taste delicious.
As far as ingredients, this recipe calls for mainly panty staples including: butter, sugar, eggs, cream cheese, etc. There are a few ingredients that may require a trip to the grocery store. These include my favorite Lifeway Kefir—used to keep the cake incredibly soft and flavorful— bananas—fully ripened— fresh raspberries—if they are tart that is fine—and last but not least, cake flour. I do not recommend swapping the cake flour for all-purpose. With so many banana desserts that are dense in texture, cake flour is what sets this recipe apart.
Tips and Tricks for Funfetti Banana Cupcakes
1.) The bananas must be ripe. Browner the better. Mash the bananas until they are a liquid. This will keep the crumb of the cake nice and tender. I have made this recipe when my bananas weren’t ripe enough and I could tell the difference in taste and texture.
2.) Stir in the sprinkles with a light hand.
3.) I like to bake each 12-count cupcake tin one at a time. If you have a convection feature available in your oven, feel free to use it and bake multiple tins at once (this recipe yields about 3 dozen cupcakes), but I prefer to bake them one at a time, despite having this feature myself. I find when baking multiple trays at once the cupcakes don’t always rise evenly. The batter can be stored on the counter while the cupcakes bake. I actually found that by the third bake, after resting the batter, the cupcakes had the best rise, which I found very interesting.
4.) If possible, remove cupcakes promptly after baking. This will ensure they don’t continue to bake.
5.) Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature and then store in the fridge until ready to decorate. They can be decorated right away as long as they are not warm.
6.) For the Raspberry Cream Cheese, make sure to wash and then dry the raspberries well. We don’t want any additional moisture in the frosting, as the puree will make it wet enough. Before decorating the cupcakes, I recommend letting the frosting harden up a bit so it is a little easier to pipe and holds better shape. This frosting is not like a stable American Buttercream. It is a softer frosting that is not as easy to work with, but so delicious!
Substitutions and Variations
For other fruity recipes, try my Browned Butter Banana Cake, my Strawberry Cupcakes or my Oranges and Cream Cupcakes.
Commonly Asked Questions:
How do I store the cupcakes?
Store the cupcakes in the fridge before and after decorating. If made and decorated ahead, pull from the fridge 1-2 hours before enjoying so they have a chance to soften and come to room temperature.
My bananas aren’t ripe? Can I make this recipe?
I recommend waiting to make this recipe until the bananas are very ripe and blackened.
I can’t find fresh raspberries; can I use frozen?
Yes, but be careful. Frozen berries release a lot more liquid. Also, keep in mind the raspberries don’t have to be perfectly ripe for this recipe. I like to add a few drops of raspberry extract into the raspberry puree, which gives the frosting slightly more raspberry flavor without tasting artificial.
Final Tip
Feel free to get creative with this recipe using blackberries or strawberries instead.
Funfetti Banana Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, not packed
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup Plain Whole Milk Lifeway Kefir, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups ripe bananas, mashed well (about 3-4 bananas depending on size)
- 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
- 12 ounces fresh raspberries, washed and thoroughly dried
- 1 teaspoon raspberry extract
- 16 ounces block cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with liners.
- In a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle the oil into the bowl on medium speed. Once incorporated, turn the mixer back to medium-high speed for another 3 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, briefly mixing batter on medium-low speed until smooth, and scraping the bowl after each egg addition. Add vanilla and briefly mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Spoon and level the flours for an accurate measurement.
- Add 1 1/2 cup kefir into a glass measuring cup. Alternating between the dry ingredients and the kefir, add a third of the flour mixture into the mixing bowl on low speed. Immediately follow with half of the kefir, followed by the next third of the flour mixture, and the second half of the kefir. Finish with the remaining flour mixture. The mixer should be kept on low speed, so the ingredients don't splash out of the bowl. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Into the bowl, add the mashed banana. Mix until just incorporated. Add the rainbow sprinkles and fold into the batter a few times until evenly distributed.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the cupcake tins, a little over 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Repeat the baking process with the remaining batter. Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.
- To make the Raspberry Cream Cheese Icing, first pulse the raspberries in a food processor until fully blended. Push the raspberries through a fine mesh sieve, collecting only the puree. Add the raspberry extract into the puree. Discard the seeds.
- With an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until there are no lumps, and the consistency is smooth.
- Add sifted powdered sugar to the bowl, 1 cup at a time, mixing first on low speed to prevent splashing, then turning the mixer to medium-low until all the powdered sugar is incorporated. Add in half the raspberry puree, beating until blended. At this time, taste the frosting and access the consistency. Add as much remaining puree as desired.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, decorate with cream cheese icing as desired.
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