Traditional Dessert in a Cupcake!

My manager at Old Chicago, Howie, wanted me to figure how to make a dessert that tasted like the traditional banana pudding with Nilla wafers. There were so many ways to get this flavor into a cupcake. Should we use white cake with a banana frosting or filling? A banana cake with pudding? How could the Nilla wafers be incorporated. I think we talked about this cupcake numerous days until we decided how it needed to be done. I chose to do this with a Banana cupcake filled with vanilla pudding. I then used cream cheese frosting and dipped them into crushed up Nilla wafers and stuck a mini wafer on top for garnish. I haven't tried one yet because I ended up with a perfect 2 dozen but they do look really good!

Banana Cake Recipe

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

1. 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.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Seriously, could these cupcakes look any more perfect?!

I kind of cheated a little bit on the pudding and just used instant vanilla pudding because I happened to have some in my cabinet and honestly, when else would I use it

I took a large piping back with a serrated tip and stuck them in each cupcake and gave them each a good filling. It was the same technique I used when making my St. Patrick's Day cupcakes.

I then piped on some cream cheese frosting and dipped each cupcake in some crushed up Nilla wafers.

I then put one of the mini wafers onto each cupcake. I think they turned out really well. They were super easy to make and really fun coming up with the idea. I just hope they go over well but I'm sure they will!