Thank you, Thank you very much

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Did you know Marshmallow Fluff was created in Lynn, MA? Me either..and if you did..Good for you!

Every year there is a ‘Fluff Festival’ with a recipe contest in which the product must feature Marshmallow Fluff. I came up with three ideas almost instantly…1.) Sweet Potato Casserole Cupcake 2.) S’mores Cupcake and 3.) Elvis Cupcake.

 

All three of these cupcakes would obviously incorporate Fluff…The tricky part was how? I wanted the Marshmallow Fluff to come through without overpowering the rest of the product. I tested all three out and to say the least my favorite was the Elvis Cupcake. Elvis loved a peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich…so this is my take on his favorite. This cake starts with a brown sugar banana cupcake, peanut butter- Fluff filling and a browned butter Fluff buttercream topped with crispy bacon, home made peanut brittle and dried banana chips! Here is the recipe…roughly…can’t give away all my secrets :-)

 

Brown Sugar Banana Cake

1 1/2 Cups Mashed, ripe bananas (I cannot stand the texture and taste of an unripened banana!)
3 Cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/8 Cups Light brown sugar
1 Cup Dark brown sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk until incorporated.

In a separate bowl whisk together sugars, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs until incorporated.

Fold in the mashed bananas to the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time until just incorporated…do not over mix! (This will make for a tough texture in your ending product)

Peanut Butter-Fluff Filling

This stuff is rich and each cupcake only needs about 1 Tablespoon each.

1/2 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Marshmallow Fluff
Half and Half to thin it out

Browned Butter Frosting

1 Stick butter, browned and cooled
1 8 oz. Package Greek Cream Cheese (This product has a great tang that cuts through the sweetness of the filling)
1 Tsp. Pure vanilla extract
1/2 Cup Marshmallow Fluff
Pinch Salt
Powdered sugar to desired sweetness
Half and Half to thin out to desired consistency

 

The garnishes on mine were crushed banana chips, peanut brittle and crispy bacon bits :-) the saltiness from the bacon, crunch from the chips and the extra nuttiness from the brittle really round out this cupcake perfectly…Elvis would be proud!

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Pinterest Gem Unveiled: Bananas Foster Tres Leches Cake

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There are always those recipes you see on pinterest that just jump out at you. The kind of recipes you pin and NEVER go back to……well I have about 35 pins under my “do it!” board. Chances are I will not get to all of them, but one stuck out. The website www.howsweeteats.com posted a recipe for banana tres leches cake…..UMMM what?! Banana bread…check…love it. Tres leches cake…..ummm duhhh! The two together create this amazing cake to which I have added my own twists to.

As with all my recipes…feel free to make them your own! Use the basic cake recipe and add in your own flare.

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick butter, browned and cooled slightly (brown butter adds a nutty flavor)
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar (this is my go to ingredient in baking, try replacing white sugar with it in your next baking venture!)
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 bananas, mashed (The riper the better!)
  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum (I used the ever so classy Sailor Jerry; however, you can use whatever you have)
  • 1 ripe banana sliced or 1/2 cup dried banana chips (Garnish JUST before serving, or chips will get soggy and banana will change color)

I know, I know… it’s not the healthiest cake in the world… but it may be the tastiest!!!

You’ve been warned!

 

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. I used a medium sized ceramic all clad. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Think of really stiff whipped cream. The egg whites will stand up when you remove the beaters.

Step 2:

Beat egg yolks and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and bananas. With the mixer on low speed, add in cooled butter and mix until combined. Add in half of the dry ingredients, then add the 2/3 cups of milk. Finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix. (This will create a tougher end result)

Step 3:

Fold the egg whites into the batter (Do not rush this process. Stirring the egg whites too fast into the batter will create a dense product!) Pour batter into the greased dish. The original recipe called to bake for 25-30 minutes, however, I say 30-35 but keep an eye on it!  Cool the cake completely (tell ya why later). I suggest leaving the cake in the pan. (less of a mess) Once its cool… poke the crap out of it!!! I mean really… well without making it a mess… poke as many holes as you can in the cake… I used the end of a food thermometer.

In a large measuring cup, whisk together 1 tablespoon rum, whole milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk. Pour the milk mixture over the cake getting it into the holes. Refrigerate and let sit for at least 3 hours.

Step 4:

Whipped cream time! Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, second amount of cinnamon & vanilla and the remaining tablespoon of rum. Beat this mixture until similar consistency of the egg whites you whipped up earlier. Spread the finished whipped cream over the cake. Garnish the cake with sliced fresh banana or banana chips.

 

Feeling frisky? Brulee the banana slices on a plate first sprinkled lightly with some white sugar. Maybe skip the whipped cream and top the cake with meringue and brulee the top!… wait... maybe I should have done that!

Enjoy :-)