Banana nut crunkcakes.

When I lived in DC, I discovered a wonderful mobile bakery called Crunkcakes. Not having a store front of their own, you could find these boozy morsels on trays in various bakeries, bars, and other establishments around the city, as well as at street festivals. I became hooked on their Irish Car Bomb cupcakes, which are a mainstay at the Pug, the bar below my beloved ramen place where I traditionally waited out the 45 minute-1.5 hour line for a seat upstairs.

As I mentioned earlier this month, our office has had a little trouble eating through the banana portion of our weekly fruit delivery. I brought home another bunch and this time went a sweeter route -- inspired by nostalgia, I decided to spice(d rum) up the next round of banana-themed baked goods.

The cupcakes ended up being several relatively simple components all combined into one bite -- as a result, these are a project best tackled over a number of days. No part was particularly difficult or time-consuming, but taken on all together, it would be quite the culinary marathon.

Banana Cake + Bananas Foster + Spiced Rum Caramel + Buttercream Frosting = Bananas Foster Cupcakes

The banana cake:

The bananas Foster:

The spiced rum caramel:

Assembly:
Use a small, round cookie cutter and a spoon to remove a tiny hollow from the center of each cupcake.

Fill each hollow with a spoonful of bananas Foster.

Cover with a generous swirl of frosting mixed with caramel sauce; you can mix in as much as you want and as completely as you want. I used about 1/4 c of the caramel sauce and didn't mix completely for a swirl effect.

*
Recipes here make 2 dozen cupcakes

Bananas Foster - Adapted to Fill Cupcakes
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

2 T butter
1/3 c dark brown sugar
3 T rum
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 banana, peeled and diced into small pieces
pinch salt
1/4 c chopped walnuts, toasted

Melt butter and brown sugar in a small skillet over medium heat. Add rum, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.When mixture begins to bubble, add bananas to the pan. Cook until soft, for about 2-3 min. Remove from heat and add salt and walnuts; stir to combine.

Banana Cupcakes
(adapted from The Butter Dish blog - doesn't that sound like something I'd like?)

1 7/8 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 c heavy cream
2 1/4 t pure vanilla extract
1 c sugar
3/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350* F and line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Whisk flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. In separate bowl combine the bananas, cream and vanilla. Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and blend until well combined.

In three alternating additions add flour and banana mixture. Divide mixture evenly between muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before attempting to fill.

Spiced Rum Caramel
(also from The Butter Dish blog)

1 c dark brown sugar
½ c corn syrup
½ c unsalted butter
1 c heavy cream
1 t vanilla extract

1 c spiced rum

In a medium pan (NOT nonstick - must be fire-proof) combine sugar, corn syrup, butter and half the cream and heat to a roiling boil for 9 min. Then add remaining cream and allow to boil for 1 min. longer. Add vanilla and rum, continuing to boil for 1 min. Using a long lighter, light the sauce on fire (!) and boil until flames burn out. You may have to stir with a spoon and light again, repeating a couple times until the sauce doesn't light. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce has reduced and thickened (another 5 min. or so, depending on how big your pan is). Once thickened some more, set sauce aside and allow to cool. Once cool, transfer pan to fridge and allow to chill completely and thicken.

Buttercream Frosting

2 c shortening or butter
4 c sifted confectioner's sugar
4 t vanilla
4 T water
pinch salt

Cream shortening or butter, gradually adding confectioner's sugar, about 1 c at a time. Add vanilla, water, and salt, and adjust to taste. Add more water if you want a thinner frosting, more sugar if you want a stiffer batch.