Rum raisin cake with candied orange and chocolate cremeux

Recipe by Harris Sakalis, Executive Chef at The Fairmont, Southampton, Bermuda
Image by Diana DeLucia

Yields 20

Ingredients

Rum Raisin Cake

• 306 grams Raisins
• Gosling’s Black Rum (to cover)
• 488 grams All-purpose Flour
• 7 grams Baking Powder
• 240 grams Butter (room temp)
• 103 grams Shortening
• 308 grams Granulated Sugar
• 4 grams Kosher Salt
• 4 Whole Eggs
• 6 grams Vanilla Paste
• 121 grams Whole Milk

Rum Sauce

• 228 grams Butter
• 220 grams Brown Sugar
• 222 grams Gosling’s Black Rum (remainder from soaked raisins)

Orange Fluid Gel

• 500 grams Orange Juice
• 70 grams Syrup from Confit Oranges (see recipe)
• 4 grams Agar Agar

Chocolate Cremeux
Yields 40 quenelle flexi molds         

• 494 grams Heavy Cream
• 511 grams Whole Milk
• 70 grams Granulated Sugar
• pinch Kosher Salt
• 7 Egg Yolks
• 74 grams Granulated Sugar
• 7 grams Vanilla Paste
• 357 grams Valrhona Guanaja 70% Chocolate

 
Honey Crème Anglaise

• 243 grams Whole Milk
• 235 grams Heavy Cream
• pinch Kosher Salt
• 50 grams Honey
• 60 grams Granulated Sugar
• 6 Egg Yolks
• 5 grams Vanilla Paste

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Confit Orange

• 4 Whole Oranges
• 568 grams Granulated Sugar
• 568 grams Granulated Sugar

Preparation

Rum Raisin Cake

Soak raisins in rum overnight, covered at room temperature.

Drain raisins (saving the rum for sauce below), allow to dry briefly and toss with ¼ cup of All -purpose flour.

Whisk together flour and baking powder, set aside.

Cream butter, shortening, sugar and salt until fluffy, 3 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time then vanilla, scrape well and beat on high 1 minute.

Add flour, baking powder, and milk and mix on low combine then high 30 seconds.

Fold in coated raisins and pipe into rectangle Flexi molds with four dots.

Bake at 310°F until golden brown and set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature 20-30 minutes before serving, pour rum sauce over the top and allow to soak in.
         
Rum Sauce

Melt butter, whisk in brown sugar until dissolved, add rum and boil a few minutes until some of the alcohol has cooked off.

Rewarm if needed before pouring over cake.

Orange Fluid Gel

Bring orange juice and agar to a simmer.

Pour into a container and chill completely until firm set.

Hand-blend until smooth.

Chocolate Cremeux

Make anglaise with first seven ingredients to 176°F


 Strain over chocolate, emulsify and pour into quenelle flexi molds, freeze


Honey Crème Anglaise

Make an anglaise to 179°F. Chill.

Confit Orange

Blanch oranges twice in boiling water for 30 seconds, changing water in between.

Carefully cut oranges in half then cut each half into 4-5 slices.

Place slices and the first amount of sugar and water to cover in a pot and cook on lowest heat, so liquid is at a bare simmer for 6-7 hours, adding more water as needed to cover slices.

Remove from heat, cover with plastic and leave in the fridge overnight.

Drain slices, keep liquid. Return to clean pot, add the second amount of sugar and water to cover.

Cook on lowest heat with liquid at a bare simmer for 1-4 hours until slices are translucent, and all bitterness is gone from pith and rind.

Chill thoroughly in syrup.

Drain and cut each slice in half for service.

Assembly

Pour rum sauce over cake set on a wire rack and allow to soak in, pouring twice if a stronger flavor is desired.

Pipe a line of orange fluid gel across a rectangular plate.

Place rum raisin cake across the line of gel.

Fill wells on cake (if using that mold) with orange fluid gel.

Spoon honey anglaise in a line on either side of the cake.

Cut a single wedge of orange confit in half and place flat side down on either end of the cake.

Place quenelle of chocolate cremeux on top of the cake at an angle.

Serve immediately.