Caramelized Plantain Upside-Down Cake

by Benjamina Ebuehi, featured in The New Way To Cake

Published by Page Street Publishing

Introduction

Plantains are the food of my childhood. If you grew up in an African or Caribbean household, you know that the smell of sweet fried plantains wafting through the house was enough to make you do a happy dance. While traditionally eaten as part of a savory meal, when ripe enough, underneath that black mottled skin lies a sweetness that lends itself beautifully to desserts such as this.

As featured in

The New Way To Cake

Photo of Benjamina Ebuehi's Caramelized Plantain Upside-Down Cake — Photo by Holly Wulff Petersen

Ingredients

Yields: 1 round 9-inch (23-cm) cake

Metric Cups

For the topping:

60 grams unsalted butter
120 grams light brown muscovado sugar
1 pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes (as desired)
15 millilitres dark rum
2 - 3 ripe plantains

For the cake:

175 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
115 grams unsalted butter (softened)
180 grams caster sugar
2 eggs
150 millilitres plain yoghurt (divided)

For serving:

ice cream (optional)

For the topping:

¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 pinch of kosher salt (as desired)
1 tablespoon dark rum
2 - 3 ripe plantains

For the cake:

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 eggs
scant ⅔ cup plain yogurt (divided)

For serving:

ice cream (optional)

Method

Caramelized Plantain Upside-Down Cake is a guest recipe by Benjamina Ebuehi so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a round 9-inch (23-cm) cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
To make the topping, add the butter and muscovado sugar to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and rum. Pour the caramel into the cake pan and spread it evenly across the base. Slice the plantains into thirds lengthwise and arrange them on top of the caramel. Try not to overlap them—it’s okay if not all the caramel is covered by the plantains.
To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.
Using a stand mixer or electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture looks like it’s curdled, stir in a tablespoon (8 g) of the flour mix. Add one-third of the flour while mixing on low speed. Pour in half of the yogurt, followed by another third of flour. Repeat with the remaining yogurt and finally, the remaining flour. Pour the batter on top of the plantains, spreading it into an even layer. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If there’s just caramel on the toothpick, you’re good to go!
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a palette knife around the edge of the cake. Turn the cake upside down onto a plate or cake stand. If any caramel is still in the pan, spoon it back on top. This cake is best served warm on the day it’s made with a scoop of ice cream.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a round 9-inch (23-cm) cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
To make the topping, add the butter and muscovado sugar to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and rum. Pour the caramel into the cake pan and spread it evenly across the base. Slice the plantains into thirds lengthwise and arrange them on top of the caramel. Try not to overlap them—it’s okay if not all the caramel is covered by the plantains.
To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.
Using a stand mixer or electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture looks like it’s curdled, stir in a tablespoon (8 g) of the flour mix. Add one-third of the flour while mixing on low speed. Pour in half of the yogurt, followed by another third of flour. Repeat with the remaining yogurt and finally, the remaining flour. Pour the batter on top of the plantains, spreading it into an even layer. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If there’s just caramel on the toothpick, you’re good to go!
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a palette knife around the edge of the cake. Turn the cake upside down onto a plate or cake stand. If any caramel is still in the pan, spoon it back on top. This cake is best served warm on the day it’s made with a scoop of ice cream.