Who doesn't love a PB & B sandwich? This classic flavor combo makes a great cupcake: moist banana cake, peanut butter frosting, and a blizzard of crushed salty/sweet honey roasted peanuts on top. To make as a layer cake, as pictured here, see the bakers' tip at the bottom of the recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin or cupcake pan; or line with papers, and grease the papers.
For the cake: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
Add the eggs, and beat well. Stir in the banana, honey, and yogurt(or buttermilk), and vanilla. The mixture may look lumpy or curdled.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and Cake Enhancer (if using).
Add half of the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is uniform; scrape the bowl and mix at medium speed for 30 seconds.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, filling the wells almost full; a muffin scoop works well here.
Bake the cupcakes for 24 to 27 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and place the pan on a heatproof surface. As soon as you're able, tilt the cupcakes in the wells of the pan; this prevents their bottoms from steaming.
When the cupcakes are completely cool, make the frosting. Beat together the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt until crumbly.
Add 1/3 cup of the milk (or half & half), beating to combine. If the frosting is too thick to spread easily, add more liquid a tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition.
Put the crushed peanuts in a bowl. Frost the cupcakes, using about 42g (1 1/2 ounces) frosting for each. As you frost each cake, dip it into the crushed peanuts, turning it to cover the frosting completely.
Transfer cupcakes to a rack to set briefly; then cover and store airtight until you're ready to serve them. They'll stay fresh for a day or two; longer, if you've used Cake Enhancer.
