By Forty-seven. Lisa's carne adovada. The kids' cards. Mamá's call. The same ritual. Different year. The kids are growing. Diego is gone. Sofia is fifteen and a half. The twins are eleven and a half. Lisa is fifty-five. I am forty-seven. The numbers are moving.
I prayed at night. I asked for Papá to make it through the year. He has been weaker on every visit. Mamá has been managing him with fierce vigilance. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.
After the carne adovada and the cards and Mamá’s voice coming through the phone, I wanted to end the night with something that would make the kids laugh — something that had nothing to do with numbers or years or the weight of things. Sofia and the twins lit up when they saw these come out, and that was the whole point. You feed your people, and sometimes feeding them means banana and chocolate and a little chaos in a cupcake liner. That’s how you win at the table.
Chunky Monkey Cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 22 min | Total Time: 42 min | Servings: 18
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate frosting (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons sliced bananas, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 18-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, sugar, and melted butter until combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract and sour cream until smooth.
- Fold together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined — do not overmix. Fold in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of the walnuts.
- Fill and bake. Divide batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with remaining chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake for 20–22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and allow to cool fully before frosting, at least 30 minutes.
- Frost and serve. Spread or pipe chocolate frosting onto each cooled cupcake. Garnish with a banana slice if desired and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 41g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 175mg