Around this time of year, there’s always talk of turducken-type dishes (a de-boned chicken inside a duck inside a turkey.)
This year, a similar conversation is around PieCaken, the creation of “Top Ten Pastry Chef in America” Zac Young, —Pecan Pie on the bottom, Pumpkin Pie in the middle, and Spice Cake on top, all layered together with cinnamon buttercream and topped with Apple Pie filling
I’m not going to kid myself. You know I’m going to attempt this wonderful-looking creation at some point, but in the interest of time and my stress level, I’m tiptoeing into the recipe mashup category with a plantain cake with cheesecake in the center.
You can use bananas for this, and the cake will be much lighter in color than mine. I had 2 poor plantains waiting for me to create tostones, which never happened, so that’s what we have today.
About plantains, if you don’t typically use them, make sure they’re really blackened if you’re using them for a sweet application like this. Mine could actually have gone a bit longer. (See picture
).
INGREDIENTS
1 large egg
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup liquid-state coconut oil (canola or vegetable may be substituted)
1/4 cup sour cream. (Greek yogurt may be substituted)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe plantains
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds, optional
Cream Cheese Filling
1 large egg
4 ounces softened brick-style cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease and flour one 9×5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
In a large bowl, add the egg, sugars, coconut oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
Add the plantains and stir to incorporate.
Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t over-mix; set aside.
Pour half of the batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners; set aside.
In a blender, or with a hand mixer, add all cream cheese filling ingredients and mix well.
Evenly pour filling mixture over the bread.
Top with remaining batter, smoothing the top very lightly with a spatula as to not disturb cream cheese layer underneath.
Top with a few pumpkin seeds.
Bake for about 48 to 50 minutes or until the top is domed, golden, and the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
This is tricky because the cream cheese never gets totally solid so the toothpick test isn’t the most accurate.
Tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped over it at the 30 minute-mark if you feel the tops and sides will become too browned before center cooks through. I personally like the dark corners. Allow bread to cool in the pan for at least 20-30 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Bread will keep if airtight at room temperature for about a week.
Wishing you all a loving, abundant and mostly, a safe, Thanksgiving.