Offer a taste of the tropics at your next gathering – try an Ortanique Rum Cake. Before you even check out the recipe, you may be thinking…’WHAT is an ortanique??’ Ortaniques are a specialty citrus of the tangor family. Tangors are the result of crossing a mandarin orange (better known as a tangerine) with a sweet orange. Ortaniques are one of the sweetest, most flavorful tangors available. Ortaniques were originally discovered in Jamaica, so it seems only natural to pair ortaniques with Jamaica’s other famous export: rum. Together, ortaniques and Jamaican rum make a dessert that is sure to please:
Cake Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup sour cream mixed
2 tablespoons Jamaican rum
2 tablespoons ortanique zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
4 egg whites, beaten stiff
Sauce Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
Juice of one ortanique
1/2 cup Jamaican Rum
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour tube cake pan. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. In separate bowl, combine next five ingredients. Sift twice. In another bowl, mix together sour cream, rum, ortanique zest and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three portions, alternating with the sour cream mixture. When fully combined, mix on high speed for one minute. Add pecans and fold in the meringue. Spread batter in prepared cake pan and place in oven. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
While cake is baking, make sauce. In a small saucepan combine sugar, ortanique juice and Jamaican rum. Heat on low just until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
When cake is finished, remove from oven. Allow to cool for ten minutes and then, while cake is still in the pan, poke holes in the cake with a two tined fork. Slowly pour sauce over cake until absorbed. Allow cake to fully cool in the pan (even overnight). When cool, invert on to your favorite cake plate or platter. This is a very moist cake and keeps well.