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These malted chocolate cupcakes are topped with fresh whipped cream, sprinkles and a Maraschino cherry.
I also filled the cakes with a “Whoppers” buttercream (using ground Whoppers choclate malted milk balls) to add to the malt flavor (which unfortunately was largely masked in the cake itself). The buttercream filling adds a needed sweetness and moisture so that the cupcake doesn’t end up tasting like a black forest cherry cake. Which, would be interesting to try . . . hmmmmm . . .
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I had been planning this cupcake for a while, thinking about what ways I could make an Oreo cupcake that was something more than just a cake base and buttercream frosting on top. I’m pretty satisfied with the result here, although I think there are many more interesting variations to try. Coincidentally, my sister-in-law baked a version of an Oreo cupcake on the same exact night with a whole Oreo cookie at the bottom, which I definitely want to try next time! I was afraid a whole cookie at the base would burn or disappear somehow, but I hear it stays crunchy and is quite delicious.
Here, I have a chocolate cake with a fudge cookie bar in the middle. The fudge cookie bar is a baked Oreo cookie bar with ganache poured on top. Because the cookie is made from ground Oreos, it is crumbly rather than “crunchy”, but I will continue to experiment with that. The ganache adds a smooth creamy moist filling. 
For the frosting, I made an Oreo “mousse.” I did in fact try a mousse base, but the egg yolks made the frosting too yellow. Then I tried the same mousse with egg whites instead of egg yolks, but that doesn’t hold up. Then I tried a meringue buttercream base without the butter, but the texture and taste just weren’t quite right. Finally, I ended up with a whipped cream stabilized with some gelatin, with ground Oreos folded in, and I think I achieved the light fluffy consistency I was looking for. The cookie on top is a Nabisco chocolate wafer, like the type I used in my Icebox Cake. I would not recommend grinding up this wafer for the frosting. The wafer has ground coconut in it, which results in an odd crunch/chew that does not blend well with whipped cream.
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This is an oldie but goodie that my mom likes to say gets better each time I make it (thanks mom!). This banana cake (not “bread”, says Anne Takemoto, the brilliant baker behind this recipe), is moist but with a great crispy edge. In my opinion, the secret ingredient is the crushed pineapple.
I hesitate a bit to share this recipe, since in my mind it will forever belong to dear Anne, our resident fellow from college. However, I often get requests, and those of us who lived in Okada probably reminisce about the warm-fuzzy-cozy dorm meetings that residents would show up to if for no other reason than to eat this cake at the end. This is edible love, and I hope I have Anne’s blessing to spread the love!
Banana Cake (oven 325 – 350 degrees)
Mix dry ingredients together:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Mix wet ingredients together:
1½ cups oil (a little less works too)
1½ teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups chopped bananas (about 4 very ripe bananas)
1 8oz. can of crushed pineapple, with juice
Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring gently.
Add 1 cup chopped nuts, if desired
Pour into greased Bundt pan (I strongly suggest using non-stick spray with flour).
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until done. Don’t try to underbake to ensure moistness. If the cake is underbaked, it will likely tear when removing from the Bundt pan. Plus, you will want that surface to be crispy!
I have tried to make this in a cupcake version with a honey cinnamon frosting, which is also delicious. However, the cupcake form loses the crispy edge (even without frosting), which is such a great part of this cake.
