Vegan Cupcake Recipe

Imagine a moist banana cupcake filled with fruit preserves and topped with fluffy white icing, chocolate ganache, and chopped walnuts. It sounds so much like a banana split you'll probably want to serve it with a scoop of ice cream — but don't, because this cupcake is completely vegan!

Adding mashed banana to this cupcake batter not only gives it one of the essential banana split flavors but also works as a great substitute for eggs, helping to give the cupcakes structure as they bake. Just be sure you don't overmix these cupcakes; small lumps of banana in the batter are OK.

After you bake and cool the vegan cupcakes, top them with a fluffy mock-buttercream frosting. The frosting looks most like whipped cream if you pipe it onto the cupcakes (pile it high!) using a pastry bag that's been fitted with a star tip. Then add colorful sprinkles and chopped nuts before topping each cupcake with a cherry for the perfect banana split presentation and flavor.

Click here for the full Vegan Banana Split Cupcake recipe.

Kristie Collado is The Daily Meal's Cook Editor. Follow her on Twitter @KColladoCook.