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For the cupcakes:
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Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 6-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
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In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add mashed bananas and mix until incorporated.
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Add in flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk and mix just until combined. Don't overmix.
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Scoop batter into the muffin tin up to 3/4 full (I filled mine up to 2/3, but it didn't rise as much). Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
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Let cupcakes cool in cupcake pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
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While the cupcakes are baking (and later, cooling), make the buttercream.
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For the Italian Meringue Buttercream:
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In a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, make the sugar syrup by heating the water and 1/4 cup of sugar. Heat the mixture until 248-250 F.
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While the sugar syrup is heating, whip the egg white and cream of tartar in a stainless steel bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. If the sugar hasn't reached the desired temperature, turn mixer off and wait until it does.
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When the sugar syrup is ready, turn the mixer on low speed. Carefully pour the hot syrup into the whipped egg whites, pouring between the bowl and the beaters. Be careful not to let the syrup hit the beaters. Increase mixer speed to medium and whip until meringue has cooled completely.
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Once meringue is cooled, slowly add butter, 1 tablespoon or so at a time. Make sure that the butter has incorporated completely before adding more. The mixture may look curdled once butter has been added, increase speed to high and keep on beating until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.
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* If kitchen is too warm or humid, refrigerate buttercream or let it rest in an ice-filled bowl.
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For the caramel sauce:
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Prepare ingredients. Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan (preferably 2-quart). As sugar begins to melt, whisk vigorously. Stop stirring when the sugar comes to a boil.
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As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted and the mixture is dark amber in color, add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted. Remove pan from heat. Slowly add the cream and continue whisking until incorporated. (Mixture might foam up in this stage.)
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Whisk until smooth. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a sterilized jar/container. Recipe makes 1 cup of caramel. Caramel may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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To make the Caramel Buttercream:
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Add 1/4 cup caramel sauce to the buttercream. Mix gently until incorporated.
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Assembly:
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Once cupcakes are cool, core cupcakes using an apple corer or a paring knife to cut a 'plug' out of the top of the cupcake. Fill cupcakes with 1 teaspoon of caramel buttercream. Replace tops on cupcakes. Frost cupcakes as desired using the remaining buttercream. I used Ateco tip # 855, my current favorite. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce.
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Adapted from Bakers Royale and Annie's Eats
