Ingredients
Caramelized Plantains:
- 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
Cupcakes:
- 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
Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Directions
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.
A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs cannot make representation as to the results.
Photo: Caramelized Plantain Cupcakes with a Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

















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By Mrs.Skisterrr
on September 18, 2011
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I only made the frosting, but it was a disappointment. You can't taste the cream cheese. It just tastes like Nutella. Nutella is awesome, but I should've just put a scoop of nutella on my cupcakes. If it's supposed to be "Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Frosting," then that's what it should taste like. This recipe just further proves my point that people on Cupcake Wars cannot bake at all.
By millshbic2198_7...
East Point, GA
on June 03, 2011
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I just did not have good luck with this recipie. The cupcake was not very sweet and it just didnt work well for me. Everyone thought they were missing something.
By somelking_12698840
long island cit...
on November 28, 2010
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It's not sweet and the end result resembles a muffin more than a cupcake. I wish the sweet plantain flavor was stronger. I've made these cupcakes 2x the first time I thought that maybe my plantains were not black enough. The second time I used black soft plantains and after being caramelized I noticed the plantain mush was different than the first time with a more mushy consistency. But the flavor of the plantains is still not what I was looking for. In general people liked them. The frosting is simple and tasty.
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