CARAMELIZED PLANTAIN CUPCAKES WITH A CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Caramelized Plantain Cupcakes with a Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Frosting image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Time 1h45m

Yield 16 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 very ripe plantains (the peels should be entirely brown-black), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups caramelized mashed plantains
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

Steps:

2 tablespoons finely crushed plantain chips
For the caramelized plantains: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Put the sliced plantains in an 8-inch square baking dish and pour in the butter mixture. Toss the plantains until well coated with the mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and mash the plantains with a fork. The yield should be about 2 cups mashed caramelized plantains.
For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 16 cups of 2 standard 12-capacity cupcake pans with liners.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a sifter and sift into a large bowl.
In another large bowl add the softened butter and granulated sugar and mix, with a hand mixer, until smooth. Beat in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and the mashed caramelized plantains until the batter is smooth. Slowly stir in the sifted flour mixture and mix until smooth.
Evenly spoon the cupcake batter into the 16 liners, filling the cups 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops are light golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and cool completely, about 20 minutes.
For the chocolate hazelnut cream cheese frosting: Add the cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut spread and vanilla extract to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, scraping down sides of the bowl, as needed, until the frosting is smooth.
Assemble the cupcakes: Put the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch diameter decorating tip. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle the top of each cupcake with crushed plantain chips. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.