Ingredients
- Cupcakes:
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/3 cups sifted flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- dash ground cloves
- 3/4 cup mashed banana
- Frosting:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick/4 oz./113g) butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners' (icing) sugar, sifted
- 3 to 5 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Food coloring, if tinting frosting
Preparation
Step 1
Cupcakes:
Cream shortening and vanilla; beat in sugar until mixture is light. Add egg and beat well. Sift dry ingredients together twice; add to the creamed mixture, beating on low speed until blended. Stir in banana and blend well. Fill greased cupcake pans or paper liners about half full. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes, or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched in center. Makes about 12 cupcakes.
Frosting:
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla.
Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Add up to 1 tablespoon more milk if the frosting seems too stiff.