Banana Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

-Recipe by Miss Shannon Staker

Check out Shannon's amazing craft blog Shannon Makes Stuff

"These were sooo good. A great way to use your really ripe banana's besides plain old banana bread. They are really moist and are like a cupcake not a muffin or bread!"

Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, bananas and buttermilk. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to banana mixture. Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Now for the Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Frost cupcakes. This is how I did it. I put the frosting in a ziplock bag and cut off one of the corners. Then squeeze it out in a circle starting from the outside edge of the cupcake to the center.