Banana Cupcakes (Moist, Fluffy, Topped with Cream Cheese Frosting)

Use bananas that have gone past pretty, the kind with brown freckles bleeding into black skin, because that's where the sweetness and the soft texture come from. I cream the butter and sugar a full three minutes until it pales and lightens, then beat the eggs in one at a time before the mashed bananas and sour cream go in. The sour cream is doing quiet work here, keeping the crumb tender without making it dense. Fill the liners two-thirds full and they'll dome instead of overflowing.

By Nora Calloway

Swaps & Substitutions

• Sour cream → full-fat Greek yogurt works one for one and gives the same tang and moisture; thin runny yogurt makes the batter too loose.
• Unsalted butter → if you only have salted, use it and cut the added salt to a pinch in the batter and skip it in the frosting.
• Buttermilk for sour cream → in a pinch use 1/3 cup buttermilk plus an extra tablespoon of flour, though the crumb comes out slightly less rich.
• Dairy-free → swap a plant butter and a coconut or cashew cream cheese; the frosting stays softer, so chill it before piping.
• Gluten-free → a 1:1 GF baking blend with xanthan gum works, but rest the batter 10 minutes and expect a touch more crumble.
• Powdered sugar → there's no clean substitute for the frosting; granulated sugar stays gritty and won't whip smooth.

Questions & Answers