Banana Split Cupcakes

Banana Split Cupcakes are for celebrations and special times. We were having a dual Retirement/Birthday Party for two of our neighbors.  Since I am the "Cupcake Lady of the neighborhood, I wanted to make really festive cupcakes.  What else can be more festive than cupcakes with whipped cream, strawberries, bananas, walnuts, and chocolate syrup, topped with a cherry, just like the quintessential Banana Split.  The only difference being, that all of these topping as are on top of a cupcake, instead of mounds of ice cream., and you eat the cupcake with a spoon.  You could add ice cream, also and go a little crazy.  You might need a bigger bowl. though.
  

The cupcake isn't just any old cupcake, but a cupcake made with strawberry yogurt, mashed strawberries, chocolate chips, bananas, and walnuts.  I didn't add the walnuts to the cake batter, because one of my neighbors doesn't like nuts.  I just sprinkled the nuts on top, per request.  If you had a lot of people, you could set up a cupcake bar with the cupcakes and all of the toppings, and let your guest make their own Banana Split cupcakes.  Wouldn't that be fun?  

Banana Split Cupcakes Adapted from Cupcake Project
Yield: 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup strawberry yogurt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)
• ½ cup macerated strawberries
• ½ cup dried pineapple, loosely chopped optional)  I didn’t use
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup walnuts, loosely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º F.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
Mix in eggs, yogurt, flour, and baking soda.
Stir in bananas, strawberries, pineapple, if used, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full.

Bake for twenty-five minutes or until the tops bounce back when lightly touched. 

Banana Split Toppings:

Whipped Cream

1 cup Strawberries, thinly sliced

3 ripe Bananas, sliced

1 cup Walnuts, chopped

18 Maraschino cherries

Chocolate Syrup

To assemble:

At serving time, top cupcakes with whipped cream, sliced bananas and strawberries, chopped nuts, topped with a cherry, and chocolate syrup.  Eat with a spoon and Enjoy!

I linked up my recipe to Brandie's The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #113