Banana Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Dear readers, I apologize. Profusely. With utmost sincerity. It's just that I've been so busy and distracted. Part of it is due to school and work. I'm in the throws of finals, and I have a GPA and 20 page papers that are making me fuss and worry. Well, actually, school is just all encompassing all the time. I just haven't had time for cupcakes.

Plus, baking wise, I have been exploring other new routes and recipes with my work over at Simply Recipes. These projects have just taken me away from cupcakes, which I am glad for as I am becoming a better baker for it. Though there still is a nagging feeling of neglect for the cupcakes I love so much. Plus, as many ideas for cupcake recipes as I have had, I just haven't had one that really gave me drive or inspiration.

Compound that with work on my own blog, the magazine, and my actual day job, I'm a bit of a busy bee. Rob and my friends are concerned I'm going to stroke out or have a heart attack or ulcer due to the stress, which I have never handled well to begin with.

However, I recently stumbled onto the blog, Tartlette, and after reading every single one of her posts (which badly cut into time I should have been studying) I found some new inspiration, and budgeted out a night to for these cupcakes.

This delicious cupcake takes it's bare base measurements from Tartlette's recipe for Banana Rhubarb cupcakes. The difference here is the swap of rhubarb for strawberries, lemon for orange zest, and vanilla sugar in lieu of spices. For the most part I was thoroughly happy with this cupcake; rich in banana flavor, very dense, with nice bits of strawberry that, after being baked, had a great almost jam like quality to them. Add in the subtle hints of soothing vanilla, and the inexplicably delicious taste of cream cheese frosting (proof that not only does God exist, he likes to bake) it's a winner and a perfect cure for Spring fever.

The cupcake thus gets a special dedication to Jill and Rob who have been great in helping me focus and stay centered and realize that everything will work out. =)
(And yes, Jill, I will make a batch just for you.)
Banana Strawberry Cupcakes
Makes 20 Cupcakes / 350 F

What You'll Need...
3 cups flour
1 cup vanilla sugar (or substitute regular sugar)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
grated zest of one lemon
2 bananas, mashed
1 cup of chopped strawberries

What You'll Do...
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, stir the eggs and the oil. Add the bananas, rhubarb and orange zest.

Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Spoon into cupcake papers, about 3/4th's full and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in a wire rack and frost.

You can find the recipe for my Cream Cheese Frosting here.