Hummingbird Cupcakes

As my time as an undergraduate comes to a close, I have found myself overwhelmed with the amount of things I need to get done before I graduate. Because of these many tasks, I have been neglecting my duty to post new recipes.

However, I found the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe. For my lab class, we had presentations and snacks were going to be provided. I decided that the best way to celebrate the end of a semester is with cupcakes. Plus, trying out a new recipe gave me the perfect excuse to procrastinate a bit.

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup of mashed banana (2 1/2 bananas)

1/2 cup pecan pieces

1/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained

3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp butter substitute, I used 53% vegetable oil margarine

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup 2% milk

Frosting:

4 oz. neufchatel cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare 14 cupcake liners in a tray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the banana, pineapple, applesauce and pecans.
3. In a large bowl, bring together the flour, baking soda and powder, and cinnamon.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil, sugars, and vanilla. Add in the egg and beat until fluffy.
5. Fold in the banana mixture. 
6. Slowly add in the flour mixture and the milk.
7. Stir until just combined.
8. Fill each liner 2/3 of the way.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
10. Remove the cupcakes and allow to cool before frosting.

Frosting:

1. While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, beat the frosting ingredients until smooth except for the coconut.
2. Spread about a tablespoon of frosting onto each cupcake.
3. Sprinkle the coconut flakes on top.

Nutritional Information (14 servings, one serving is 1 frosted cupcake)

Calories 203, Fat 8.5g, Cholesterol 19mg, Sodium 134mg, Carbohydrates 29.6g, Dietary Fiber 1.5g, Sugars 16.9g, Protein 3.2g