Brownie Banana Bread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting.
Today is a special day! It’s a certain someone’s birthday… you know, that guy I live with? Yeah. It’s his birthday.
He turns 83 today!
Oye. Okay, he’s really only in his 30s. I guess the “he’s older than me” jokes got old themselves about three years ago. I’d say I need some new material but the fact is that he gives me new material daily. Sometimes even hourly.
This marks the 5th birthday that Mr. How Sweet and I will celebrate together. In fact, we started “officially” dating only a few days before his birthday 5 years ago. “Official” simply meaning that I had to stop flirting with other boys and he had to stop drunk-dialing girls. True story!
I thought he was super old. I am the oldest child – the oldest cousin, grandchild – oldest everything. So to be dating someone that was 10 years older than me… it seemed like a big deal because it was just different than anything I was used to. I denied the feelings for a long, long time (read: like seven months) before he finally broke me down and got me to commit. Romantic right?
Next came our first “official” date. I’m not going to explain anymore of this “official” business but you are more than welcome to speculate. He planned a fun night: going to see a Pirates games (if that’s what you want to call it) which really translates to eating a bunch of Pittsburgh-themed food while watching fireworks, then going out for dinner and drinks. It was the perfect end to summer and I was even too annoyingly enamored with him to care that he was taking me a baseball game outdoors in 90 degree heat. AKA: my worst nightmare. I’m a huge sweater.
Just before we arrived he decided to glance at the tickets and realized they were actually for September 30th – over a week away. Oops! Secretly I thought this was perfect because it would be a fun way to celebrate his birthday… which was on the 30th. Trying to figure out what to buy your new boyfriend for his birthday is challenging… you don’t really know each other well enough to be fully aware of his favorite interests (or insanely annoying quirks) and well, when he’s a good bit older than you and has his own place, and when you have only ever dated boys who lived with their parents and taken you to the Olive Garden where they order the Tour of Italy every.dang.time… yeah, it’s challenging.
So I stopped fretting about what to plan and simply had to find the perfect gift for his birthday… which was on the 30th.
Right?!
Yeah. Not sure if you’ve looked at a calendar… but today is September 20th, so you can imagine how great it is forgetting your new boyfriend’s birthday two days after you started dating. Someone clued me in that morning on the 20th back in 2006 – of course after I had talked to him numerous times with no mention of a birthday. I argued back, “uhh… no. His birthday is on the 30th. I know this!” To which I was just stared at with a blank glare.
Turns out, his birthday is September 20th. Who knew? Instead of admitting defeat and turning his day around, I acted like the stubborn ass that I am and pretended that I “purposely” forgot just so I could surprise him. And my pathetic attempt at “surprising” consisted of me tying a balloon to his door like he’d just had a baby or something and buying him a season of Entourage on DVD, because seriously, what do you get the guy you’ve been seeing for two whole days?!
I still have a difficult time deciding what to buy for his birthday considering he has almost everything and what he really wants (a vintage $60,000 Rolex, anyone?) I can only dream to afford. So I just make him food and give him a bunch of stuff he doesn’t need.
He loves chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes after they’ve been in the fridge, so I went the cupcake route. As I was frosting them, I called out, “you like banana bread, right?”
Him: “Ugh, no. You know I don’t like banana bread! I only like bananas when they are green and banana bread has black bananas in it. Blech.”
Hmmmm. I thought that sounded eerily familiar.
Fail. What the eff? Why do birthdays and I not get along?
Lucky me, these looked too appetizing for him to turn down. After I frosted them and packed them away for the night, and after we returned home from seeing Straw Dogs and fulfilling my Alexander Skarsgard void, he opened the fridge and yelled, “What the %$&@ is in this container? I think I want one.”
I then spent the next 20 minutes watching him eat four cupcakes over the sink with a can of Diet Coke. Apparently cupcakes are the new chocolate chip cookie.
So there’s that. If that isn’t love… I don’t know what is.
Oh! And by the way, Mr. How Sweet has a name. I know…weirrrd. But let’s be serious – you’ve probably wanted to virtually stab my eye out every time I type the words “Mr. How Sweet” as much as I mentally punch myself in the face each time I write it. His name is Eddie. Or Ed, which my dad calls him because he thinks it’s more manly. I might still call him Mr. How Sweet or I might call him Ed or I might call him something completely different, but I sure as heck won’t call him late for dinner.*
Brownie Banana Bread Cupcakes
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, lightly tossed in flour
Cupcake Layer
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3/4 cups of butter, 1 1/2 sticks, at room temperature
- 8 ounces (1 block) of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Brownie Layer
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy – about 3-4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and mix until combined, scraping down the bowl a few times. With the mixer on medium speed, add in flour, salt and cocoa powder, mixing until just combined. Line a cupcake tin with liners, then spoon about 1/2-3/4 of a tablespoon of brownie batter in each cup. Press down with the back of a spoon coated in non-stick spray.
Cupcake Layer
- Combine dry flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In a bowl, whisk egg and add brown sugar, mixing until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Add sour cream and melted butter and mix. Stir in dry ingredients, then add mashed bananas and mix until batter comes together. The batter will be thicker than normal cupcakes. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter in liners over top of brownie batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes, then let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of your electric mixer until completely combined and creamy, scraping down the sides a few times. Add in brown sugar and powdered sugar, beating on low speed and gradually increasing to medium speed. Add in vanilla extract. Beat frosting for 4-5 minutes on medium-high speed until really creamy and combined. This frosting is not very thick or study, so make sure to either frost immediately before eating, or keep in the refrigerator for up until 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
*yeah… desperately need some new material.
196 Comments on “Brownie Banana Bread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting.”
It’s my hubby’s birthday today too! Only I didn’t make him anything :( I took him out to dinner though, I think that still counts. :)
Aw! Happy birthday to him. :)
Oh how I loved this trip down memory lane. Thank you for sharing the early days of your relationship, how things went down, confusion of the 20th vs 30th (Scott has been with me for 11 or 12 bdays now and about 50% of the time forgets…he seriously has my date confused by about 3 days…I’ve gotten over it though) but I just loved this post.
And the cupcakes. Stellar looking recipe. But really, I’d love to just dive into that frosting!
Happy Bday, Mr Sweet!!!
Okay if I made This brown sugar frosting, none would make it to the cupcakes!
Happy birthday Mr. How Sweet! Thanks for sharing your story, and the recipe :) I love bananas!
Happy Birthday, Eddie/Mr. How Sweet!! These cupcakes look fantastic, and I loved reading the story about your early dating days.
My husband is one of those people who “doesn’t like dessert”, but – without fail – I always offer to bake him something on his birthday (we’ve been together for 10 years; married for 2). Even though he always says no thanks, I will persist until he caves in ;).
See tweet #1 and #2 at 6:09 AM (or 7:09 AM for you I suppose).
Happy Birthday Mr. How Sweet (aka Carl or Kevin)!
god those look good! I love banana baked into anything but hate bananas. That frosting looks so good I want to eat it on its own! My husband is a Stevie… I can’t picture him as a Steve or Steven. I call him Steven if i’m yelling at him like his mother or something… and everytime I say Steve I feel weired….
I love the juxtaposition of “bad-for-you” brownies with “not-so-bad-for-you” banana bread! But then it just turns into delicious when you add the words “cupcake” and “brown sugar frosting,” and I’m ok with that!
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MR. HOW SWEET!!! Thank you for allowing your wife to love her readers just as much as she loves you and not getting jealous! ;-)
Well good thing your man has these cupcakes! Happy 5th year birthday together! The 30th right?:P
Habitat > Olive Garden
hahahahha love this
Happy Birthday Mr. How Sweet!!!
My husband and I’s birthday’s are a day apart so luckily it’s easy to remember. :) These look so tasty and I have some bananas to use, how perfect!
Happy Birthday Eddie..I mean Mr. How Sweet! How could he not have liked these cupcakes? Green bananas are supposed to help you lose weight because they are a good starch so I will give him that.
Hahahah seriously?! Don’t tell him that… he will eat like 4 a day now.
No way! Today is my birthday, too. Happy birthday to your hubby, I’ll have to make some of those delicious cupcakes!! :)
Happy birthday Mary! :)
My birthday is tomorrow! Maybe Ben will make me these. Happy b-day to Mr. Sweet!
Happy early birthday to you! :)
Love brownies, love banana bread – love this combination! But I think I’m in love with the frosting a little bit more – pass me a bathtub full!
The frosting was my favorite part too.
Awww! What a great story to share! :) It is crazy how some people end up together when it is totally not what you ever expected, that’s what is great about it!!! (ps-the husband and I started dating 5 years ago, just a few days ago I was able to say 5 years ago you kissed me for the first time!!!)
Buying things for the boyfriend/husband is neeeeeeevvvveeerrr easy! Maybe I’ll bake this year :) Sounds like a winner!
I am the worst gift-giver. And it drives me insane that my husband is the most thoughtful gift-giver ever. Why can’t he just get me a vaccuum or something annoying? So I almost always resort to food. And washing down 4 with a Diet Coke? Nice! I love it when people get physically sick from eating too much of what I’m serving up. Twisted I know.
Hahaha… I love how your mind works.
Happy Birthday to your husband! :D
Those cupcakes look awesome!
Awwww, Happy Birthday Eddie! Today is my grandparents’ 55th wedding anniversary, and I bet they would love these cupcakes. (Scandal Alert: they got married when my grandmother was 16, because she was *whispers* pregnant.)
That is amazing. 55 years! Congrats to them. :)
Happy Birthday to Mr. How Sweet! Even though now I know his first name, I’m still calling him Mr. How Sweet.
I am roaring over the Tour of Italy comment — I’ve so been there!
I think it’s like a law that all young adult boys order that dish.
Aw, this was such a cute post. My boyfriend doesn’t seem to care much about his birthday which is good because it’s just before Christmas and I’m normally too excited to remember about him (worst girlfriend ever). Love these cupcakes though, I wish I was nice enough to make them for my boyfriend ;)
Yay Happy Birthday to Mr. How Sweet, or Ed…hmmm, I think I’ll still go with Mr. How Sweet!
Aww Happy Birthday to Mr How Sweet… or Eddie… I kind of feel like he’s stuck with Mr How Sweet now! This is such a cute birthday tribute, and I’m totally making these for the next person I know who has a birthday!
happy birthday eddie!!! so glad he liked the cupcakes…and the tour of italy comment? AWESOME :)
Cute Post. Happy Birthday to Mr. How Sweet! How was Straw Dogs? I am obsessed with Alexander Skarsgard, but I hate scary movies, so I haven’t decided whether or not to see it.
I hate scary movies too but made an exception for him… it wasn’t that great of a movie, but I also wouldn’t call it a horror film. It was very different than I thought and it was violent at times, but not for the reasons I thought. Before I saw it I thought it would be like The Strangers (which traumatized me) but it wasn’t at all.
Haha great post! Happy Birthday to Eddie! These cupcakes look phenomenal!
Awww! What a cute story! LOL at you tying a balloon on his door! Too funny. Happy Birthday to him and I’m happy he liked his dessert!
Happy birthday to your man!
“I am the oldest child – the oldest cousin, grandchild – oldest everything.”
-> For me, it’s exactly the same! I was the first to do and try everything…
And by the way; these cupcakes are such a wonderful birthday treat!
Happy Birthday to Mr. How Sweet… er. Ed! :-) These cupcakes look wonderful, glad he got past his fear of black bananas to enjoy them!
Ok, first, YUM! Second, I’m kinda in agreement with Eddie on the whole banana issue, HOWEVER, since the offending banana part is sandwiched so nicely between two way tasty parts, Ima gonna try this! I’ll get back to ya….
Happy Birthday to Mr. How Sweet. It’s like the finale of Sex and the City when we finally learned that Mr. Big’s name was John. Now we know Mr. How Sweet’s real name, though maybe you should start calling him something like Helen. That might be fun.
Ha!
Since banana bread is a breakfast food, as is cream cheese, I hope you ate at least two of these for breakfast.
Awe, I love that story. It’s just so totally “you” which might be weird for me to say if I hadn’t been reading your blog daily for almost 2 years! And I love that you call him Mr. How Sweet. He should consider having it officially changed. Not that there’s anything wrong with Eddie, but I mean, you do keep him covered in diet coke and cupcakes. I think you should get some ownership!
Happy Birthday, Mr. HS! :)
These look great!
It’s my 25th bday on Saturday and my boyfriend always gets nervous about giving Me presents.. which is silly because I want tons of stuff all the time! He made me a handmade bristol board sized card our first year on my bday *he is totally not Crafty or Artistic* and I loved it so much haha.
Never know what to do for his bday either, boys buy everything they want themselves… so I also cook and bake and then we go out!I made oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies for him this past bday.. major points for me!
Happy early birthday – I agree, that sounds like an amazing gift!
This is one of my favorite posts you’ve ever done :) So cute to get your backstory with him and even finally hear his real name! hahaha
Thanks Lauren!
He likes green bananas? That’s funny. Glad he liked the brown version in these cupcakes because I don’t see how anyone could deny such pretty things!
Happy Birthday to Ed!
Now I’m wishing I lived with you so I could get cupcakes like this on my b-day, well let’s be honest – I’d like you to cook for me everyday. :)
Happy Birthday, Eddie!
Ok, Jessica, you really freaked me out and I lost a couple breaths when you said today was the 30th because my husband’s is the 29th and for a minute I thought I freaking missed it!!! Which I can definitely see happening because to him birthdays are NO big deal, he doesn’t want anything, doesn’t want to do anything, so even if I missed it he probably wouldn’t even mention it.
Ok, I’ve recovered. The cupcakes look incredibly delicious, something we’ll definitely have to consider making. Yum!
I share your husband’s sentiments about bananas — but these look really good. Love the layers!
Happy birthday Ed! I’m the older woman in my relationship (by a few months) ;) I guess you can call me a cougar..
Happy birthday to Mr. How Sweet!
These seriously look so delicious!!! :)
Happy Birthday Mr. How Sweet! These look fan-frickin-tastic!
Sweet idea! I will have to try this!
Wow! These cupcakes look absolutely amazing! I cannot wait to try these! I’m even more excited because I just got a KitchenAid Mixer over the weekend! I cannot wait to use it on these cupcakes!!! :)
Oh how exciting! Hope you love it.
Love it; I too am desperately bad at birthdays. Though I tell the hubs that it’s because every day with me is a gift, it’s probably because I just never know what to buy. It’s not your fault Eddie has everything.
Happy Birthday to Mr. How Sweet (a.k.a. as Eddie)!
Happy Birthday to Eddie :)
I always make my boyfriend his favorite cake on his birthday. I refuse to make it at any other time in the year because it takes the best part of a day. The first time I made it I started when I got home from work the night before and I was almost dead time I got to bed that evening. I have very much planned ahead ever since!
Yummmmm! Love the story-you and ed are hilarious. I never thought about frosting banana bread
Lordy mercy, you get me laughing every time!
These cupcakes look so good that I would hope he hated them so I could eat ’em all…
Okay so that frosting…..yeaaaaaaah.
Eddie – never would’ve guessed. Always thought he looked like a Steve or something. I don’t know – I don’t even know what I’m talking about. I’ll just stick with Mr. How Sweet because it’s easy and, OBVIOUSLY, you are the famous one in the family :smile: