A Delicious Twist on a Classic Recipe

Plantain is a wonderful food stimulant, which is used intensively in many African, Caribbean and South American kitchens. Eaten either fried or boiled, plantains may not be flexible for use in as many foods, it can however be made into a delicious plantain cake. Plantain cake, baked, is a variation to normal cakes and is a perfect bake with the perfect combination of ripe plantain sweetness and exactly the right moistness of a homemade cake. Even if you’ve never baked before, making the plantain cake at home is something that I assure you, you’ll find easy and fulfilling. That is how to bake the best plantain cake with few tips to guide you to bake a yummy one.

Why Should You Try The Plantain Cake Recipe At Home

A brief note before the pattern: Why exactly plantain cake is such a good idea? Plantains are a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, and contain vitamins A and C as well. They are also naturally quite sweet when ripe, which means that you do not need much added sugar to many of your dishes. That makes plantain cake a much healthier take on a dessert and perfect for those who fancy a dessert with an islander feel to it.

Also, preparing baking plantain cake at home makes you prepare it a healthier cake of your desire without the presence of some wrong additives. This makes it ideal for family events, occasions or when you just want to indulge on something sweet.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a simple list of ingredients for a basic plantain baked cake. Feel free to tweak it to your preferences, but this is a great base recipe:

• 3 medium ripe plantains (the riper, the better)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar (you can use brown sugar for a richer flavor)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 cup butter (melted) or vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk (you can use dairy or plant-based milk)

Procedures for Making Plantain Baked Cake At Home

1. Preheat Your Oven

For this recipe you need to have your oven preheated at 350 degrees with grease for the cake pan. This can therefore be baked in an 8x8 inch baking pan, or a loaf pan of the bakers choice.

2. Prepare the Plantains

Sum: Cook the plantains and skin them before squashing them in a bowl till they become paste. The ideal texture can be also get from both a fork and blender. If the plantains are ripe enough, they should mash easily when they are squashed. The mashed plantains will serve to moisten the cake and impart a natural, sweet flavor to the cake as well.

3. Mix Dry Ingredients

In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Currant mix these ingredients vigorously in a bowl just until they are evenly distributed. I found this addition of cinnamon and nutmeg to give a beautiful warm feel to the cake and works perfectly with the plantain.

4. Combine Wet Ingredients

In the second bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar, cooled melted butter/or oil, vanilla and milk. Finally, add the mashed plantains and mix till creamy. Butter gives the cookies more depth of flavor while eggs act as a binder and create that heavenly, fluffy dough.

5. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

After that, slowly incorporation the dry agents to the wet ones, and stirring until their textures blend properly. It is necessary not to mix the ingredients too actively, which will make the cake kneaded and, therefore, heavy. The batter should not be flowing but rather thick and it should be so when it is ready for use.

6. Pour Into Pan and Bake

Once the batter is ready, transfer it to your cake pan and use the back of the spoon, spreading the mixture to to create a smooth even layer at the top. Place the pan carefully into the hot oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. It should be looking golden brown from the top and also should not be squishy when you touch it.

7. Cool and Serve

For instance, if you have just baked a cake you ought to offer it an additional ten minutes in the pan after you turn it off the oven. Next, bake it in the oven and then take it out and transfer it to a wire rack too let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, slice and serve. That should ideally be eaten on its own, or the cake should be served with just a spoonful of whipped cream or a dusting of icing sugar.

Tips for the Best Plantain Baked Cake

1. Use Very Ripe Plantains

They tasted like baked fried green plantain balls stuffed with sugar because the recipe called for using very ripe plantains. The riper they are, the sweeter and softer they become and are therefore easier to fold into a batter. Choose plantains with hardened black skin; despite them seeming to be a ripened fruit they are more suitable for baking when they are.

2. Don’t Overmix the Batter

Once both the wet and dry ingredients are combined in a larger bowl you should mix it gently until all the ingredients are incorporated. Too much mixing can lead to formation of thick cake which is not desirable from our supreme cake. If you use a light hand, then your dough will be soft and fluffy.

3. Add Some Texture

To give some character, you can include chopped nuts such as walnut or pecans into the batter. It will also give a nice texture and the crumble will be nice against the moistness of the cake. If you enjoy coconut, you might also love shredded coconut also.

4. Experiment with Flavors

While preparing plantain cakes, people use cinnamon and nutmeg most often, but are advised not to restrict themselves to only those spices. You could probably adjust the spiciness up a bit if you wanted to add ginger or cardamom. For a little kick, you just add a few drops of chocolate to the batter or a spoon of caramel.

5. Serve with Toppings

Nevertheless, plantain cake is best eaten on its own, but you can add toppings on it. Sift the last of the powdered sugar on the cake, and pour over it a syrup made of powdered sugar and milk or serve it with fresh fruits. In case you want to go more exotic, you can accompany it with coconut ice cream.

Encouragement for Beginners

First timers, I would like to encourage them to stop being downcast if their baked cake does not look good the first time. Since baking is a learning process, plantain cake is one of the simplest recipes anyone can attempt. This is so because no matter the how well you bake the cake, ripe plantain will always make the cake very moist. Like art and science, cooking is all about patience so just glance over the recipe and try to enjoy the process. Every attempt, you will approach it with so much confidence and the next thing you know, you’re baking those plantain baked cakes like a pro.

Let's Discuss Plantains as a source of nutrients

Plantains have carbohydrates that are different from others called dietary fibers and aids in digestion and aid in avoiding hunger after some time. They also contain potassium which is essential in the functioning of the heart and in muscles. Moreover, the plantains contains vitamin A and vitamin C which has a great role in immunity and also in the skin part. When you incorporate plantains in to your bake foods not only are you being healthy but you are also being tasty.

Conclusion

It is very rewarding and delicious if you prepare baked cake using plantain at home. This is a very elementary recipe and if you are a new baker or have years of experience making cakes, this recipe will give you a very soft cake. To remind myself to play with the flavors, wait and enjoy the most, I added some notes on the card. Happy baking!