Banana cupcakes with lemon marshmallow buttercream frosting are one of the best banana desserts ever to grace this planet and I can’t wait to share it with you!
A delicious fluffy banana bread cupcake covered in a soft, sweet and tangy buttercream frosting is a combination of flavors you didn’t know you needed! The banana cupcake is light and stays moist for days, but the flavorful lemon frosting is really what helps to take these treats to the next level!
If you’re looking for an easy overripe banana recipe to try and wanting to stray away from the common banana bread, this easy ripe banana recipe will satisfy those taste buds and desires. The lemony marshmallow buttercream frosting that tops each golden cupcake is an added tasty bonus, and incredibly easy to make!
Tips for Making These Banana Cupcakes and Frosting
The banana muffin batter requires buttermilk as an ingredient, but if you don’t want to run to the store or don’t have any on hand, you can use regular milk and a teaspoon of lemon juice for as a replacement.
I also recommend using a citrus zester, I use my Crisp Cooking Zester all of the time! It really helps to cut down on the effort needed for getting that perfect amount of zest for a recipe.
How ripe should bananas be for banana cupcakes?
You want your bananas to no longer have any visible signs of greenness (except for maybe a little around the stem). The riper a banana gets, the darker in color it becomes and the sweeter they are. You can use a yellow banana with a few brown spots or wait for it to fully brown and possibly blacken if you want a super sweet banana flavor.
What’s the difference between a banana cupcake and a muffin?
Cupcakes are lighter and fluffier in texture whereas banana bread is normally denser. Both are sweet and delicious, but only one is normally covered in frosting or glaze. Muffins are also seen as healthier, making them the perfect breakfast, whereas cupcakes are dessert-like treats.
Banana Cupcake Ingredients
-2 1/2 cups flour
-3 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
-1 1/4 cups sugar
-1/2 cup butter, softened
-1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup regular milk + 1 tsp lemon juice)
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp salt
-2 eggs
-2 tsp vanilla extract
My helpers were anxiously watching the cupcakes baking…
How to Make Banana Cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place the cupcake liners in a muffin pan and then set it aside.
Beat all of the ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to high and then beat for another 3 minutes. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners until they are about 2/3 full.
Bake for 13-14 minutes until the tops are a pale golden color. Cool them completely before frosting. Store in an airtight container.
Lemon Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
-1 cup softened butter
-1 7-oz container marshmallow cream
-2 cups powdered sugar
-1 TBSP lemon zest (1 medium lemon)
-1 TBSP fresh lemon juice (1/2 of 1 medium lemon)
-3-4 drops yellow food coloring if desired
How to Make Lemon Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high speed, scraping bowl occasionally.
Mix until all of the ingredients are well incorporated and the frosting has a whipped appearance, about 3-4 minutes.
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, adding any sprinkles on top that you’d like if you want them.
This frosting is an adaption from my Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3 medium ripe bananas smashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup regular milk + 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- FROSTING:
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1 7- oz container marshmallow cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 TBSP lemon zest 1 medium lemon
- 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice 1/2 of 1 medium lemon
- 3-4 drops yellow food coloring if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Set aside.
- Beat all ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Increase mixer speed to high and beat for 3 minutes. Spoon batter into cupcake liners until about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes, until tops are pale golden. Cool completely before frosting. Store in an airtight container.
- FROSTING:
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Mix until ingredients are incorporated and frosting has a whipped appearance, about 3-4 minutes. Pipe onto cupcakes, adding any sprinkles on top that you'd like.
How do you thicken marshmallow frosting?
This frosting should be plenty thick if you follow it exactly, but you never know how things can go wrong. If your frosting isn’t as thick as you’d like, add in a little more powdered sugar to help thicken it up. This should help to offset the wet ingredients and give you a thicker frosting.
How long can buttercream frosting sit out?
The Food Safety and Inspection Services states that you can leave your frosting out at room temperature for up to 3 days, but keeping it in an airtight container within your fridge is always a safer choice. You can let it warm up to room temperature before using to make it easier to pipe.
Can I leave buttercream frosted cupcakes out overnight?
Already frosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Make sure to keep them in a cool place and inside of an airtight container for maximum freshness.
More If you liked these banana cupcakes with lemon frosting, you’ll love these recipes!
- Strawberry Banana Lemon Glaze
- Easy Banana Bread
- Lemon Cake Truffles
- Easy Lemon Bread
- Lemon Poke Cake
- Frosted Banana Cake
- Banana Nut Muffins
- Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake
- Yogurt Lemon Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
- Lemon Drop Glazed Mini Cupcakes
You are going to love the fluffy, light, sweet and tangy flavors of these banana cupcakes with lemon marshmallow buttercream frosting!
Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says
I have a few ripe bananas on my counter calling to these banana cupcakes. Woah! I love the flavor combinations. I’ve never had banana with lemon but I’m sure it’s delicious.