Fresh Whipped Cream | 20something cupcakes

It doesn’t get more Southern than banana pudding.

Bananas 'n Cream Pudding

The old-school way of going about it involves any or all of the following: pudding – usually instant, boxed Nilla wafers, maybe some sweetened condensed milk, fresh banana slices, and either a meringue or whipped cream topping. It all gets layered together in some sort of a casserole or bowl, where the cookies become soft and as they melt their way into the pudding.

If you didn’t know all of that, you’d probably think the term “banana pudding” refers to … a banana-flavored pudding, right?

I totally dig this kind of thing – for one, that the name of the recipe seems straightforward, but it’s not, and then the fact that it’s timeless and classic, the type of recipe that gets passed down from generation to generation. However, I’m not so into boxed pudding and cookies and the like – hi, have we met? And so I set off to create my own spin on this traditional Southern specialty.

My first requirement was fresh berries. I love the combination of banana and both blueberries and blackberries, and I liked the idea of a twist on berries ‘n cream. To me, banana pudding should be a light, refreshing dessert. If I want something rich and heavy, I’m going for chocolate or an all-butter pastry type of a deal.

Bananas 'n Cream Pudding

Also – who wants something heavy after fried chicken? A meal like that requires something on the lighter side, for sure.

The next order of business – and the most important one – was the bananas. This is banana pudding, after all! I knew I wanted their flavor to shine, so I immediately knew I’d be roasting. I thought about roasting bananas for the first time when I made this banana bread (also with blackberries … I told you I’m into this combo) but I didn’t, because I had some old ones to use. This was the perfect opportunity to try it! You already know how I feel about roasting – it brings out the best of pretty much all vegetables, and apparently now fruits – so this was an obviously easy decision.

It’s time.

I know you’ve all been dying to know what I conjured up for the 2010 Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup.

Or – maybe I’ve just been dying to show you. Either way.

When I first learned about this contest being sponsored by the Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious, I knew I had to enter. I had never made ice cream cupcakes before – and I was intrigued. I started by browsing through all of the previous years’ entries, and I was beyond impressed. I knew that if I was going to take a stab at this, my entry would have to stand out. I needed a perfect combination that hadn’t been done before. Immediately, the sugar donut muffins I had recently seen over at Baking Bites popped into my mind. These could easily be transformed into sugar donut cupcakes, I thought.

Sugar.Donut.Cupcakes.

Does it get any better than that?

Yes, it does. When you add coffee Häagen-Dazs – and top it off with some freshly whipped cinnamon-sugar cream.

What’s that? You want to get really crazy? Okay, fine. We’ll serve some sugar-coated donut holes on the side. Now, we’re there – pure and unadulterated ice cream cupcake bliss.

I have to tell you, I wish these cupcakes could be judged based on a taste test. Because these are hands-down one of the most delicious things to ever come out of my kitchen. And they’re not even that difficult to make. The only downside (or upside, depending on how you look at it) is they’re best when eaten right away – and thus, no saving for later.

Sugar Donut Cupcakes

3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking power
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar, for rolling

To make the cupcakes:

Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly grease your muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and egg until nice and light in color. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Since I never have cake flour on hand, I make it myself using all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Just replace 2 tablespoons of flour with cornstarch, for each cup you need. Sift together a few times – I probably went for 5; the more you sift, the closer to cake flour it becomes. Now pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour in vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract – stir until just combined. Don’t overmix, lovelies.

Divide batter evenly into 10 cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

While your cupcakes are baking, melt the butter and pour the remaining sugar into a small bowl. When the cupcakes are done, remove from the pan and let them sit for a few minutes. Now, roll them in the melted butter and then in the sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Time to make some freshly whipped cream:

Making whipped cream is so super-easy that once you’ve done it once, it can be a little dangerous. All you do is beat some heavy cream in a bowl, and add a bit of sugar – like this. I also added a bit of cinnamon.

Now, for the ice cream:

First, take your ice cream out of the freezer and let in soften for about 10 minutes. I used Häagen-Dazs because I find it to be the best coffee ice cream ever made, but you could use something else or make your own.

{The grand prize for the contest happens to be an ice cream maker, so if I happen to make it to the second round of voting – and you happen to vote for me during the second half of June – I could win it, and make the ice cream for you next time. Just sayin’.}

Cut your cupcakes in half. First, add a dollop of your cinnamon-sugar whipped cream to the top half of the cupcakes. You can do this with a pastry bag and a large tip, or by cutting a little hole in a plastic bag. Here is a fab tutorial on working with a pastry bag – and don’t feel bad if you make a mess and hate life when you’re using it. I still can’t seem to figure the damned thing out.

Now, take a small scoop of ice cream and place onto the bottom half of the cupcake. Place your frosted top on your ice creamed-bottom, and you’re good to go. Just sprinkle with some cinnamon-sugar and D.I.E.