Chocolate and Banana Cupcakes

I will be happy to provide you with a delicious recipe for chocolate and banana cupcakes with an Italian twist. Here is how to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 200 g of dark chocolate
• 100 g of butter
• 80 g of granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 ripe banana
• 50 g of flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• Icing sugar (optional for decorating)
• Cocoa powder (optional for decorating)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie together with the butter. Stir until smooth and let it cool down.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until a frothy and pale mixture is obtained.
4. Add the melted chocolate and butter to the mixture of eggs and sugar, stirring gently.
5. Add the sifted flour and the pinch of salt to the mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter.
6. Peel the banana and mash it with a fork until it becomes a puree. Incorporate the banana puree into the batter.
7. Grease and flour individual portion molds or line them with baking paper.
8. Pour the batter into the molds, filling them about ¾ full.
9. Bake the cupcakes for about 12-15 minutes. The center of the cupcakes should remain slightly soft.
10. Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes before unmolding them.

To serve, you can dust the cupcakes with icing sugar and cocoa powder, and if you want to add an extra touch, a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream would be perfect.

Trivia

Chocolate and banana make a wonderful pair not just in flavor but also in texture. The banana adds moisture to the batter, making it softer and more tempting. Additionally, you might find this combination in many local Italian pastries, as these ingredients are very popular in the country’s confectionery cuisine.