Banana Cream Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

Ok. This is serious. Banana and Nutella were meant for each other. Banana. Chocolate. Hazelnut. Banana pudding cream in the center. Are you drooling yet?

I made these for my very good friend and coworker, Manuel, who's love for bananas is almost scary, it only seemed right to make him these cupcakes for his birthday.

I pulled 2 different recipes for these cupcakes. One for the cupcake and one for the frosting.  This was also my first attempt and making a cream filled cupcake.

I think the birthday boy was happy . . .

Banana Cream Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

Cupcake and filling recipe adapted from Landee See, Landee Do

Banana Cupcake

2 ½ cups flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup plain yogurt
Crushed cinnamon graham crackers
Banana slices for garnish

Banana Filling

1 package instant banana pudding
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

Nutella Frosting

Adapted from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp nutella

Make the filling and frosting first and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before it is used.

Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and set aside.

In mixer, cream butter with sugars until it becomes light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.

Add flour mixture alternating with bananas and yogurt, mix on low until just moistened. The batter may be lumpy, but do not over mix.

Bake 20-25 min.

Cool 5 min in pan then remove to a rack.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, remove a piece of the center to add the pudding. Fill with banana pudding and top with Nutella frosting.

Garnish with crushed graham crackers, and bananas if desired. If you top the cupcakes with banana, make sure to place the slices in some lemon juice so they do not turn brown. Keep the cupcakes chilled, but remove 20 minutes before serving.