Banana Cinnamon Cupcakes with a Sweet and Spicy Frosting

I keep hearing about "hummingbird" cupcakes from the cupcake truck at the medical school, so I figured I'd give them a try. Well, I've actually never tried these cupcakes, but apparently they're amazing banana cupcakes with cinnamon and cream cheese frosting. I found a Martha Stewart recipe on Baa Baa Cupcake and started from there. But then I got a little creative and added ancho chili powder to the frosting and ground, roasted nuts to the cupcakes. The result was quite tasty.

And just a note for you detail lovers, hummingbird cake is a very, very heavy Southern cake made with mashed banana, pineapple, pecans and cream cheese icing.

Hummingbird-esque Cupcakes - Serves 16 (or about 40 mini cuppies)
Cupcakes:

• 3 ripe (or slightly overripe) bananas
• 2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup lowfat yogurt, strained
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinammon (I used Syrian cinnamon)
• 2 to 3 tbsp of finely ground, skinned, roasted nuts (I used hazelnuts and almonds)
  

Frosting

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder (you can add more or less to taste)
  

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the 3 whole bananas (unpeeled) on a baking sheet and roast them for 15 minutes until they are black. They may leak some sweet, sticky syrup, but don't worry.
2. While the bananas are roasting, sift together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Remove bananas from the oven and let them cool before peeling. The insides will be nice and mushy.
4. Decrease the oven temperature to 350
   
5. Cream the butter and sugar until it is pale and fluffy (use a mixer on medium). Then, add the egg yolks one at a time and mix until they are just incorporated into the batter. Be careful not to overmix. Add the roasted bananas and nuts and continue to mix until combined.
6. Add the flour mixture in three batches and alternate with two additions of the yogurt. Beat in the vanilla
7. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs whites until they form soft peaks. Start with your mixer on low and gradually increase it to high over the course of 3-5 minutes.
8. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
9. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 of the way full. Bake full-size cuppies for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mini cuppies only need about 15-18 minutes.
   
10. Transfer to cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

Frosting:

1. Beat the butter on medium speed until fluffy.
2. Add the confectioners sugar in 4-6 additions, mixing each time until it is fully incorporated. Scrape the sides after each addition.
   
3. Add the honey, cinnamon, ancho chili and vanilla and combine.