Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting

Everyone needs a banana recipe collection for when the bananas on the counter start looking rotten. Don't throw them away! That would be such a waste. Overly ripe bananas can be frozen (remove the peel) for months and later defrosted for baking purposes. These scrumptious banana cupcakes with a swirl of honey-butter-cinnamon frosting will have you wishing your bananas would brown a little quicker. You might even find yourself purchasing them bruised and speckled just for this purpose!

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 very ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana for garnish (optional)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Frosting:
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not over mix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread tops with Honey Cinnamon Frosting. Just before serving, peel and slice banana into rounds, and place one on each cupcake, if desired.

4. To make the frosting, in a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, honey, and ground cinnamon until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

(Recipe from Martha Stewart)