Torta De Platano Maduro (ripe Plantain Cake)

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 7 tablespoons butter
• 2 plantains, very ripe, peeled and cut in half crosswise and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 cups queso blanco, grated or 2 cups grated muenster cheese
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 egg whites
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon flour or 1 tablespoon dried breadcrumbs

Recipe

• 1 in a heavy 8 to 10 inch skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat.
• 2 when the foam subsides, drop in the sliced plantains and cook, turning frequently, until the slices are golden brown or both sides.
• 3 transfer the plantains to a double thickness of paper towels to drain.
• 4 in a small bowl, mix the grated cheese, sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
• 5 in a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater until they are stiff enough to form unwavering peaks on the beater.
• 6 in a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until they are thick and lemon colored, then with a spatula fold the whites into the yolks.
• 7 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 8 grease the bottom and sides of a deep 1 quart baking dish or mold, then sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of flour or bread crumbs, tipping the dish to spread the flour or crumbs as evenly as possible.
• 9 turn the dish over and rap it sharply to remove any excess. ladle about a quarter of the egg mixture into the dish, and spread it with the back of a spoon.
• 10 cover with a layer of plantains--using about one third of the slices.
• 11 sprinkle with 2/3 cup of the cheese mixture and dot with 1 tablespoon of butter.
• 12 repeat the layers two more times, ending with the egg mixture.
• 13 dot with the last tablespoon of butter and place in the middle of the oven.
• 14 bake for 35 minutes.
• 15 serve hot directly from the baking dish, or let the cake cool for 5 minutes or so and unmold it onto a platter in the following fashion:
• 16 run a knife around the edge of the dish and dip the bottom in hot water for a few seconds.
• 17 cover the dish with an inverted platter and, grasping dish and platter together, turn them over.