Banana Pudding Cupcakes

So my friend, Katie (check out her blog Confessions of a Suburan Housewife) told me about recipe for banana pudding cupcakes. I think she told me so I would make her some. Just kidding, but seriously. Well, yesterday I ventured out and made them. The result: pretty darm tasty!
Banana pudding cupcakes, how could I resist these cute monkey cups?
Here's the recipe (from food.com):
Cupcakes:
36 vanilla wafers
3 medium ripe bananas
1 (18.25) package yellow cake mix (Yeah, I know I always say I don't use cake mixes, but seeing as it is just one ingredient I don't think it counts)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
2 cups milk
1 (3 oz) package vanilla pudding mix
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp sugar
2 medium ripe bananas, cut into 24 slices
*Note: I halved the recipe



1) Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line 24 cupcake wells. Count out 12 vanilla wafers for the garnish and set aside.
2) Place the remaining 24 vanilla wafers flat side down in the bottom of each cupcake well, set pans aside.

3) For the batter, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth, about 1 minute; you will have about 1/4 cups.
4)Place the cake mix, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla in the bowl with the banana puree; blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl.
5) Increase mixer speed to medium and beat another 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
6) Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each cupcake mold, filling 3/4 full. You'll get 22-24 cupcakes.
7) Bake until cupcakes are golden and spring back when touched, 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 5 minutes; carefully remove the cupcakes from pans and cool 15 minutes of rack before filling.
8) Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the milk in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the pudding mix until blended.
9) Place pan over medium heat and continue to whisk as the mixture comes to a full boil, 3-4 minutes; remove pan from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour the pudding into a medium bowl and cool for 20 minutes.
Make sure you don't burn it, like I did the first time:

This looks better:

10) While the pudding is cooling (I put it in the fridge to speed up the process), make the topping: Crush the remaining 12 vanilla wafers and set aside.

11) In a large chilled bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer (chilled beaters also) on high speed until thickened.

1 1/2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the sugar, beat again until stiff peaks form. 1-2 minutes more.

12) To assemble the cupcakes, spoon the pudding into a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip. (I used what's below instead)

13) Pipe a generous amount of pudding into each cupcake (1-2 Tbsp) through the center of the top allowing about 1 tsps of the pudding to overflow onto the surface of the cupcakes.

14) Sprinkle the wafer crumbs on top of the pudding and dollop about 1 tbsp of the whipped cream over the crumbs.

15) Just before serving, stand a banana slice in the whipped cream; serve.

16) Store the cupcakes (without the banana garnish, lightly covered in the refrigerator for 1 day; add the banana slice just before serving.

VOILA!!!

I also have the nutrition info for these, but I think if you saw it they wouldn't taste nearly as good. Enjoy!