It's no secret that I am a caramel and banana lover, and these Banoffee Cupcakes are delicious! This banana caramel cupcake recipe is for soft, spiced banana cupcakes filled with dulce de leche, piped with vanilla frosting, and decorated with more dulce de leche and chocolate shavings.
If your love for cupcakes is everlasting, you have to try more of my Easy Cupcake Recipes from Scratch.
Why This Banoffee Cupcake Recipe Works
- Recipe name: Banoffee Cupcakes
- Ready in: 1hr 20 minutes
- Serves: 24 cupcakes
- Main ingredients: Bananas, dulce de leche, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, buttermilk, icing sugar, oil, and spices.
- Perfect for: Birthday parties and easy weekend baking projects.
- Why I love it: The soft texture of these banana cupcakes is so morerish and they stay moist for days thanks to the oil!
- Calories: 260kcal
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If you love banana bakes and have a few more ripe bananas on the kitchen counter, try out this Banana Bread with Streusel Topping or this Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting.
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Key Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - It is very important that you use room-temperature butter for the cupcakes and frosting.
- Muscovado sugar - I used muscovado sugar for this recipe for extra caramel flavor; brown sugar will also work.
- Sunflower oil - This recipe uses a combination of oil and butter for extra moisture. Use a neutral-tasting vegetable oil, such as sunflower or canola.
- Vanilla extract - Choose a quality vanilla extract rather than essence for this recipe. You can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Self-raising flour - Choose self-raising flour for this recipe, or use a combination of cake flour or all-purpose flour and baking powder.
- Bananas - Choose overripe bananas with brown spots for this recipe; extra-ripe bananas taste better for baking and add extra sweetness.
- Caramel - I used a store-bought can of dulce de leche, Nestle Caramel Treat. You can do the same, or boil a tin of condensed milk to make your own dulce de leche.
- Milk chocolate - Chocolate is grated over the top of the cupcakes. I like using milk chocolate; dark chocolate will also work, or leave this out if you prefer.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Once you perfect these banana cupcakes, try them with different frosting recipes. My collection of Simple Homemade Frostings for Cake and Cupcakes offers so many flavour combination ideas. This Nutella Buttercream or this Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting would be amazing!
How To Make Banana Caramel Banoffee Cupcakes
Banana Cupcakes
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2 cupcake trays with 24 cupcake papers. Combine the softened butter, oil, and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until light in color and creamy.
- Step 2: Add the eggs one at a time. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat well between each addition.
- Step 3: Sift together the flour, salt, and mixed spice, set aside. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and buttermilk to a jug and stir to combine. Add the flour-banana mixture to the cupcake batter, alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the banana mixture. Once added, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix again to ensure everything is well combined.
- Step 4: Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown, and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Vanilla Frosting
- Step 1: In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Step 2: In a jug, combine the milk and vanilla with the mixer running at low speed, then slowly add the mixture. Continue until it has all been added.
- Step 3: Increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen attachment.
- Step 4: Use a fork to loosen and smooth out the dulce de leche, if necessary. Once smooth, add it to a piping bag. Use an apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake, then fill the center with dulce de leche. Pipe a swirl of the fluffy vanilla frosting onto each cupcake. Then pipe a dot of caramel over the frosting. Grate milk chocolate over the top of each cupcake, serve, and enjoy!
How to Make Dulce de Leche from Scratch for Banoffee Cupcakes
To make homemade dulce de leche, submerge a sealed tin of sweetened condensed milk in a large pot of boiling water over high heat. It should take 2 to 3 hours to boil into dulce de leche. Make sure you are topping up the water as it evaporates. There must be enough water to cover the tin at all times. Once the caramel is done, allow it to cool completely before using it to decorate your cupcakes.
If you love dulce de leche, don't miss trying these Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cupcakes that have a Dulce de Leche Frosting!
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly and dry out just as quickly, so try to frost them the same day they are baked. If you don't have time to decorate the cupcakes the same day you bake them, store them in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays with plastic wrap until the next day.
For any leftover filled and frosted cupcakes, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days. If it is very hot, store them in the fridge.
Expert Tips
- Use an oven thermometer to check the true temperature of your oven.
- Don't overfill the cupcake cases as this can lead to misshapen cupcakes.
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature before starting this recipe.
- Ensure the cupcakes have cooled properly before frosting them.
Banoffee Cupcakes FAQs
Check your oven's temperature and ensure you haven't overfilled the cupcake cases. Overfilling the cases can result in misshapen cupcakes.
Wait - having room-temperature butter is the most important step in a successful batter and frosting. Choose to wait until the butter has reached room temperature before making this recipe, or cube the butter and heat it gently in the microwave, being careful not to melt it.
I always recommend using a kitchen scale rather than cup measurements when baking. This way, you can ensure you've measured properly and that your baked goodies come out perfectly.
To freeze these delicious banana caramel cupcakes, place any leftover cupcakes in a freezer-safe, air-tight container and freeze them for up to three months. Defrost properly before consuming them.
Yes, banoffee cupcakes are essentially banana caramel cupcakes. The name "banoffee" comes from the combination of banana and toffee (caramel), which is the flavour base of this recipe.
More Banana Caramel Recipes
These cupcakes would be the perfect addition to any birthday party, and what's a birthday without a cake!? I wrote a roundup of my favourite Easy Homemade Birthday Cake Recipes for Beginners, and there are so many great birthday cake recipes for you to choose from.
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at this Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting!
📖 Recipe
Banoffee Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2x 12-hole cupcake pans
Ingredients
Banana Cupcakes
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 170 g muscovado sugar
- 30 ml sunflower oil
- 2 eggs extra large
- 225 g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 180 ml buttermilk
- 240 ml bananas mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Buttercream
- 500 g icing sugar
- 160 g unsalted butter
- 50 ml milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 360 g Nestle caramel treat
- 20 g milk chocolate
Instructions
Banana Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2 cupcake trays with 24 cupcake papers.
- Combine the softened butter, oil, and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until light in color and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat well between each addition.
- Sift together the flour, salt, and mixed spice.
- Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and buttermilk to a jug and stir to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients and the flour mixture to the cupcake batter by alternating between them. Starting with the flour and ending with the banana mixture. Once added, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix again to ensure everything is well combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Vanilla Buttercream
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- In a jug, combine the milk and vanilla, with the mixer's motor running at low speed, and slowly add the milk mixture. Continue until it has all been added.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen attachment.
Decorate
- Use a fork to loosen and smooth out the dulce de leche, if necessary. Once smooth, add it to a piping bag. Use an apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake and fill the middle of the cupcakes with the dulce de leche.
- Pipe a swirl of the fluffy vanilla frosting onto each cupcake. Then pipe a dot of caramel over the frosting.
- Grate milk chocolate over the top of each cupcake, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use softened room temperature butter for cupcakes, both the batter and the frosting.
- You can make your own dulce de leche filling by boiling a tin of sweetened condensed milk.
Ange says
These cupcakes were delicious, and the recipe made it so easy to get them right. Thank you