Banana Cupcakes

I am one of those people who celebrates their dog's birthday.  My dog's birthday is today, so even though we don't have clean water to drink or to use for dishes, I still made my dog cupcakes.  My dog really likes bananas and peanut butter, so I adapted a couple of recipes to come up with these cupcakes.  I paired my banana cake cupcakes with peanut butter frosting here, but they would also be fantastic with cream cheese or vanilla frosting.  Notice that even though I gave one of these cupcakes to my dog for her special day, they are intended for human consumption and are delicious.

Makes 12 cupcakes

2 ripe bananas
5 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cake flour
Pinch baking powder
Scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Peanut Butter Frosting

1. Grease 12 cupcake cups or line them with paper liners.  Set aside.
2. In mixing bowl of an electric mixer, beat bananas until mashed.  Add shortening, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and buttermilk.  Beat until shortening is broken up.  Add flour and beat until smooth.
3. In 1-cup measuring cup, measure cake flour.  Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt to cake flour in cup.  Mix with a fork until mixed.  Add cake flour mixture to banana mixture in mixing bowl and mix just until combined.
4. Evenly distribute batter between prepared cups.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until cupcakes test done.  Allow to cool before frosting.  Store cupcakes in an airtight container and eat them within 2 days for best flavor and texture.