Peggy's Banana Nut Cupcakes

(Ugh. I must stop with the camera phone pictures...)

A sweet lady I used to work with at Hallmark gave me this recipe a few years back. She made this as a cake and I adored it. I'm awful at cakes, so I turned this into cupcakes and they worked perfectly.

Banana Nut Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 C Sifted All Purpose Flour
• 1 2/3 C Sugar
• 1 1/4 t Baking Powder
• 1 1/4 t Baking Soda
• 1 t Salt
• 2/3 C Shortening
• 2/3 C Buttermilk
• 1 1/4 C Mashed, ripe bananas (about 3)
• 3 Eggs
• 1 t Vanilla
• 2/3 C Finely chopped nuts

Directions
Grease & flour two nine inch layer pans. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add shortening, 1/3 C buttermilk and bananas.

Beat two minutes. Add eggs, 1/3 C buttermilk & vanilla. Beat two more minutes. Fold in nuts. Pour into cupcake pans with liners. Fill 2/3 of the way full.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-22 minutes or until cake tests done.

Let cool and ice with cream cheese frosting. Keep refrigerated.

Cream Cheese Frosting
(Recipe courtesy of the repressed pastry chef)

Ingredients

• 1 8oz pkg of cream cheese - room temperature, divided in three parts
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - COLD
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions
Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and combine very well. Add the first third of the cream cheese and combine very well. Add the shortening and combine very well. Add the remaining cream cheese one piece at a time, combining very well after each. Gradually add the sugar and combine thoroughly until light and fluffy. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with any leftover nuts.