Events, News

Christmas Tips – Chef Paula’s Rum Cake

December 10, 2019

With the run up to Christmas, the East Winds team has put together a number of tips and tricks to get you through the festive season.

Tip One…

Chef Paula suggests this delicious recipe for a Caribbean Rum cake, a great alternative to Christmas cake.  It can double up as a cake or a pudding and can be made a few days before Christmas day so a good last minute alternative.

Ingredients

1 tbsp Unsalted butter for greasing

1 tbsp All-purpose flour for coating cake pan

2 lbs All-purpose flour sifted

4 tbsp Baking powder

1 tsp Salt

4 tbsp Cake spice

4 tbsp Ground cinnamon

2 tbsp Ground ginger

2 tbsp Ground clove

1 lb Robert’s Glow Spread Margarine or Unsalted butter room temperature

1 lb Granulated sugar

9 Eggs, medium room temperature

½ cup Sason’s Gravy Browning or Jamaican Country Style Brand Browning Caramel

4 tbsp Vanilla extract

2 tsp Almond extract

3 lbs. Mixed dried fruit {currants, cherries, candied ginger, raisins, papaya, etc. soaked in strong rum of your choice for at least 6 months–I use Bounty Rum or Chairman’s Spice Reserve from St.Lucia}

1 Zest of lime whole

½ cup Water room temperature

2 cups Cherry Brandy or Cake Wine

1 cup White Rum (spirit) 90 proof

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F with the baking rack in the middle of the oven. Gather all ingredients.

Grease cake pans – rub butter all around the insides of the pan, sprinkle with flour and swirl pan to coat with flour. Ensure that it is done evenly to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan after baking. Turn over the first pan and tap to remove the excess flour. Throw the excess out. Repeat for second pan.

Sift together all dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, salt, clove, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl and set aside.

In an electric stand mixer, mix the sugar and margarine until fully incorporated between speed 2 or 3 for 4-5 minutes. The colour will be slightly lighter than its original state because of the incorporation of air.

Whilst the sugar and margarine mixes, crack all 9 eggs into a bowl. Add the vanilla and almond extract to the eggs.

When the sugar and margarine mixture reaches the required consistency (fully combined), add the eggs slowly, one egg at a time until its fully incorporated and blended in before continuing with the next. Using a spatula, stop the mixer half way through adding the eggs (4-5 eggs), scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure that the eggs are mixed in properly.

When all the eggs are added, reduce the speed of the stand mixer down to 2 and add the browning slowly. The mixture will separate because of the large amount of eggs and high liquid volume. The incorporation of flour will correct the texture. Fold in the drunken fruit mix. Note: if the fruit still has an excessive amount of liquid or rum drain it into a bowl. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY!!  It can be used over the cake later on, after it comes out of the oven.

Pour the wet mixture into an extra-large bowl. Using a large serving metal spoon, mix in the dry mixture of flour and spices into the egg and fruit mixture in 3 individual portions until the flour is fully incorporated and is no longer visible. Be careful not to over mix.

Add the water into the mixture and incorporate evenly. Separate the mixture evenly into the cake pans. Slightly lift and tap the bottom of the pans to eliminate any air spaces that may have formed whilst filling the pans.

Bake for 45 minutes and until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake. The cake will also pull away from the sides of the pan when it’s ready.

Combine the brandy and white rum together. Pour the first half of the liquid onto one of the cakes whilst it is still hot and fresh out of the oven in order for the liquid to sip through the cake layers, providing moisture and pungent alcohol flavours (alcohol tends to burn off at high temperatures). Poke the cake slightly with a skewer if necessary if the alcohol begins to surface at the top. Focus on the edges as it tends to be the driest areas.

Repeat the second cake. Allow to cool completely. When the cakes are cool, use a wire rack and flip them over. Rotate the cake back to its original side when the cake pan is removed. Repeat the process for the second cake.

Place onto desired serving dish or plate. Cut and serve. Enjoy!

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