Best ever Banana Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

These really are the best banana cupcakes ever! We eat them for breakfast, bedtime snack and everywhere in between. We lay in bed and think about eating them. Now, I know that the "Jens" are still waiting for a sample! Yesterday I doubled the batch so I would have enough for stitch club, YW's, and friends. Well, I ran out of time to bake them yesterday before I had to run to an appointment. My incredibly sweet friend Jill offered to bake them up, while she babysat my kids. Unfortunately!, her oven was colder than mine and they baked up to a big mess! So, I tried, I promise!! (Please don't blame Jill, she feels bad enough even though it is not her fault! She even baked cookies quickly so I would have something for stitch club!- Jill Brown is one of the nicest friends I have ever met!) Okay, the moment you all have been waiting for-

3/4 cup butter

2 1/8 cups sugar

3 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I use milk with 1 1/2 T. lemon juice, let sit for 5 min.)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• chopped walnut (opt.)

This frosting is one I made up myself. Joshua doesn't like traditional thick sweet cream cheese frosting, so I made this and he said it is the best cream cheese frosting he has ever had. I think it tastes like cheesecake spread on top!

1. Preheat oven to 275°. (electric oven) If your oven runs cold, you may want to do 300.
   
2. Grease two muffin pans
   
3. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
7. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
8. Stir in banana mixture.
9. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 30 min (or more) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.
11. This will make the cupcakes very moist.
12. For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
13. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla.
14. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
15. Spread on cooled cupcakes.
16. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.