Carbbean Cake- Ginger Beer Cake layered with Caramelized Plantains topped with Toasted Coconut

""Chris: Hey, mom, look at these bananas.

Peter: Why you smart little bastard.

Lois: Now Chris, these are called "plantains". In fact, most women prefer them to normal size bananas because they're exotic and flavorful.

Peter: Yeah, Lois, I see all the sorority girls clamoring for the plantain section""

Peter And Lois Family Guy Quotes

Ginger beer is a carbonated drink that is flavoured primarily with ginger and sweetened with  cane sugar or artificial sweeteners. Non Alcoholic. I buy mine in the Jamaica section of the ethnic foods.

 

Ginger Beer Cake layered with Caramelized Plantains topped with Toasted Coconut 

courtesy of Michael Cohen from Just A Pinch recipe club

Ingredients

2 Ripe Plantains ( skin should be spotted black) peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick diagonals 
or bananas

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground allspice

1 cup unsalted butter, plus three tablespoons

1 cup ginger beer (or ginger ale soda)

4 Large eggs

2 1/4 cup all -Purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla extract


Glaze
1 cup Confectioner's sugar 

1/1/4 cup sweetened coconut toasted 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an Bundt Pan with cooking spray. My cake stuck to the pan even with lots of spray. I would suggest using a Angel food cake pan . Butter and parchment bottom, sides, and cone center.

2. Sprinkle plantain slices with cinnamon and allspice (optional). Add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar and to a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 of the plantain slices and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown; remove the cooked plantains. Add another 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar to the skillet; add the remaining plantain slices to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove the cooked plantains. Once cool, cut each of the cooked plantain slices into 3 pieces. 

single layer of plantains

Cake

3. In a large bowl fitted with an electric mixer, cream 1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and frothy. Add 1/2 cup of the ginger beer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after the addition of each egg.

4. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt.

5. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and 1/2 cup of the ginger beer; add grated ginger, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, mixing well.

6. Pour about 1/2 of the batter into the sprayed pan. Layer 1/2 of the plantains over the batter. Top with the remaining 1/2 of the batter and layer the remaining 1/2 of the plantains on top. Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

7. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out cake onto platter. Cool. 

stuck to pan

Glaze

8. In a small bowl, combine confectioners sugar and 3 tablespoons ginger beer. Mix until well-combined (if necessary, add more sugar or ginger beer to get desired consistency). Drizzle glaze on cake with spoon. Sprinkle 3/4 toasted coconut on top of cake. After cutting the cake, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup toasted coconut on the individual serving plates and/or on top of the individual slices of cake 

 Glaze 

I did not care for the ginger root glaze. The cake is delicious with out it. Your option. Maybe a simple rum???  The cake is very moist from the plantains, and it gives the cake another layer of flavour. Hot and spicy from the ginger beer. Not overly sweet. Nice as a snack  cake with a cup of coffee, or as a breakfast cake. 

"Chicken merry; hawk deh  near" 

[Be careful when things are going too good for you as its always possible that danger is around the corner]