Banana Raspberry Cupcake

Besides cooking, I have always wanted to learn how to bake. I bought my first baking utensils and oven when I quit my job waiting for my US visa. I wanted a hobby to keep me preoccupied. My first attempt was baking a banana loaf. I found a recipe and thought that if I follow it down to the T, I will have a moist scrumptious banana bread. Oh yes, moist! The bread came out of the oven looking great. I sliced it and so excited to take a bite of it. In the middle of the bread was more than moist, it was very sloppy...down the trash it went. But that didn't stop me from baking again. Second attempt was brownies. This time, it'll be better I thought. Not! I baked a brownie that was inedible. It was hard as a brick. I didn't bake for a while.

I later realized what went wrong...I was ignorant of baking 101. With the TV, Internet and books as my teachers, I learned. I started baking boxed cake and brownie mixes at first until I got comfortable. I challenged myself that I can bake something from scratch. Banana bread was the first successful baked good I have made.

I got this recipe from a cookbook. I changed some of the ingredients, cut down the amount of sugar and changed it to cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS :
3/4 cup butter, softened (at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
2 eggs at room temperature, well-beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chopped pecans
cupcake papers (about 24 pcs)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add mashed bananas, raspberry preserves and eggs. Mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Fold in pecans into the mixture.
6. Line muffin pans with cupcake paper. Scoop the batter into the paper-lined muffins, about 2/3 full. 
    Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes (note that every oven varies). You know they're
    done when you insert a toothpick in the cupcake and it comes out clean.
7. Cool the cupcakes in a rack.
8. Enjoy and satisfy your sweet tooth!