Banana Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

STEP 1

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

STEP 2

Put the bananas in a small bowl and use your hands to smoosh them into a mush.

STEP 3

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through this process, and again at the end of it.

STEP 4

Add the egg and beat on high for 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

STEP 5

Combine the buttermilk, oil, milk, and banana extract and with the mixer on medium speed, stream them into the batter very slowly. It should take you approximately 3 minutes to add these liquids. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and paddle for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is practically white, twice the size of your original fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture, and completely homogeneous. Don’t rush the process. You’re basically forcing too much liquid into an already fatty mixture that doesn’t want to make room for that liquid. There should be no streaks of fat or liquid. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

STEP 6

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

STEP 7

With the mixer on very low speed, slowly add the dry mixture and mix for 45 to 60 seconds, just until your batter comes together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix on low for an additional 45 seconds to make sure no lumps of AP flour get left behind. Add the banana mush and mix until just combined.

STEP 8

Use a heaping ¼ cup to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds to three-quarters full. Do not overfill the liners or the cupcakes will overflow and sink in the middle. (If you have leftover batter, save it and after the first batch bakes, refill the cupcake pan with liners and repeat.)

STEP 9

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The cupcakes will rise and puff, doubling in size, but will remain slightly buttery and dense. At 25 minutes, gently poke the edge of a few of the cupcakes with your finger: The cupcakes should bounce back slightly and the centers should no longer be jiggly. If they don’t pass these tests, leave the cupcakes in the oven for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

STEP 10

Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack or, in a pinch, in the fridge or freezer (don’t worry, it’s not cheating). The cooled cupcakes can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.