Happy Birthday Matthew!

Our little Matthew Patrick turned 2 years old today! I can hardly believe how quickly time has passed! It seems like only yesterday we were bringing our screaming little bundle of joy home from the hospital. Now he has grown into such a sweet, busy, and always smiling little man. Paul and I are so blessed to have him as our son. Watching him grow has been such a joy for both of us!

We had a fun day with the birthday boy. Grandma Korson is in town for the week and she took Matthew and I out for lunch at Olive Garden. Matthew was so excited when his plate of chicken fingers and macaroni showed up at the table! He ate a lot for lunch - so much so that he barely touched his dinner.

We enjoyed dancing to the Animal Alphabet all afternoon while taking breaks to read a few books. When he finally tuckered out and went down for a nap, I made him some banana cupcakes and decorated them with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. He really likes banana bread, so I figured he would love these cupcakes.

When Paul came home, we had dinner and then proceeded to open gifts. Matthew loves unwrapping things. He takes it very seriously.

He received a new fork and knife set from Grandma Korson, a few sweaters from Paul and I (he really did not seem to thrilled about those), and a tool set from his Godparents. He was super excited about that last gift - especially the toy drill!

When it came time for cake, Matthew was super pumped during the traditional singing of "The Birthday Song." He tried as hard as he could to blow all the candles out. I was a little afraid that he would pass out from the effort of blowing so hard, but he managed to remain steady thanks to a little help from Grandma.

However, when his cupcake was placed in front of him, he refused to touch it. He would not take a single bite. I have to admit, my heart broke a little. I had tried so hard to make a cake flavor that I thought he would enjoy but he just was not in the mood for cake. He wanted to go play with his new drill some more.

Oh well, more for the rest of us.

These are super delicious! A light, fluffy banana-flavored cake covered with a soft, creamy cinnamon-kissed frosting. If you have a few ugly, blackened bananas laying around, this would be the perfect way to use them up!

Banana Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs

2 large, ripe bananas, peeled and mashed (about 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I personally LOVE them)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the butter and the sugar. Beat with a hand-held mixer until combined. Add the sour cream and the vanilla extract. Slowly beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Incorporate the dry mixture and wet mixtures together until thoroughly combined. Add the bananas and walnuts, being careful not to over mix. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 way full. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops turn golden-brown and when a toothpick, inserted in the middle of the cupcake, comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven to a wire rack and let cool before frosting.

For the Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until very smooth. Add in the powdered sugar gradually, follwed by the cinnamon. Beat for a 5-10 minutes until very smooth and creamy. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Refrigerate with a piece of plastic wrap pressed against the top of the frosting until ready to use.