Banana S’mores Cupcakes

Ganache Filling:

Begin by making the ganache the night before you plan on baking the cupcakes. Place the cream in a small, heavy saucepan and warm over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth, then pour into a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the ganache and refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to bake the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Graham Cracker Layer:

Combine graham cracker crumbs, 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter in a small bowl. Stir to mix. Drop a tablespoon of crumb mixture in the bottom of each muffin liner. Tamp down with a small glass. (You’ll have leftover for sprinkling on top of the marshmallow frosting.)

Cupcake:

In a bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In the well, mix together 1/2 cup melted butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir to incorporate the flour mixture, but do not overmix. Divide evenly between 12 muffin cups.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before moving onto the next step.

Ganache:

Whisk your chilled ganache. Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a medium size tip. Poke the tip into the cooled cupcake and fill the cupcake with the whipped ganache.

Marshmallow Frosting:

Place egg whites, 1 cup sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of your electric mixer. Set over a saucepan of simmering water, but make sure it isn’t touching the water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the whites are warm to the touch, about 3 or 4 minutes.

Move your bowl over to your electric mixer and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high speed, until stiff and glossy peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Immediately frost cupcakes by spooning a large dollop of frosting onto the cupcake, then use the back of the spoon to make peaks and curls.

To lightly brown your frosting, you can use a kitchen torch or place them under your oven’s broiler. If using the broiler method, the ganache will be very gooey and melted inside your cupcake for a while afterward. Refrigerate for a bit to firm it back up.

Makes 12 regular-sized cupcakes.