Caramel Banana Cupcakes - Take 2

A couple of months ago I tried to make these Caramel Banana Cupcakes from Rachel Ray's magazine but the frosting didn't come out very well and I ended up making these quick "caramel" frosting that ended up tasting like maple frosting on a doughnut. It was good, but I wanted to try again.

So a couple of weeks ago, I was relaxing on a Sunday and had some ripe bananas so thought to try it again. The cupcakes were much easier and faster to make the second time around.

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/4 granulated sugar
1 cup mashed bananas
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. whole milk plus 2 tablespoons
3 large eggs, separated

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin pans with baking liners. In a larger bowl, beat 1 stick butter with 1 cup granulated sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add 3/4 cup bananas, the baking powder and 1/2 tsp. of salt and beat until smooth. Stir in 1 c. flour. Mix in 6 tablespoons milk and the remaining 3/4 cup flour until smooth.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually mix in the remaining 1/4 c. granulated sugar at high speed until stiff and glossy. Fold the egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each liner three-quarters full. Cut 9 caramels in half, and submerge one piece in each muffin cup of batter. Bake until the cupcakes are springy to touch, about 25 minutes. Let cool.

So I get to the frosting and this is where I decide to take it slower. I plan to follow the recipe but am going to take it slow because I don't want to make the same mistake and at the same time, don't want the maple frosting of before.

One 5.5 ounce bag soft caramels, such as Werther's Original Chewy
1/4 c. powdered sugar plus a few tablespoons
2-3 teaspoons of vanilla extract

4. In a small, heavy saucepan, cook the remaining caramels, 1/4 c. milk, 1/4 c. banana, and 1/4 tsp salt over medium heat, stirring until the caramels are melted. Add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract. Continue to add powdered sugar until tastes good to you.

5. Using the electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and powdered sugar until thick, about 3 min. Slowly beat in the caramel mixture; transfer the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

6. Using the electric mixer, beat 1 stick of butter at high speed until fluffy about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cooled caramel mixture, then beat at high speed until fluffy. Spread the frosting onto the cupcakes.