RAQUEL FOX – BAHAMAS

Raquel Fox is a professional chef and motivational speaker. She grew up in The Bahamas and spent a great deal of time in the kitchen as a young girl. She was lucky to have the secrets of preparing conch, spiny lobsters, chowders, johnny cakes, mutton, oxtail, cassava and other traditional Bahamian specialties handed down to her while living and cooking with her grandmother. Although Raquel acquired a lifelong interest in global multicultural cuisines while attending international schools, her heart is in the Bahamian kitchen.

RECIPE: Bahamian Guava Rum Cake

In every Bahamian household there is either a rum cake or fruit cake as a happy ending to a celebratory Christmas Dinner.  Unlike other Caribbean rum cakes (or dense black cakes), ours is a moist and rich yellow cake that is steeped every day with a buttery rum sauce.

 

Ingredients

2 tsp (10 mL) all-purpose flour

1 cup (250 mL) diced walnut pieces (optional)

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon (1 mL) salt

2 teaspoon (10 mL) baking powder

½ cup (125 mL) custard powder

½ cup (125 mL) butter softened

1 1/3 cups (330 mL) granulated sugar

3 Tbsp (45 mL) canola oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon (5 mL) almond extract

1 Tbsp (15 mL) spiced or dark rum

¾ cup (180 mL) milk

1 cup (250 mL) guava shells

 

Rum Sauce

1 cup (250 mL) water

1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter

¼ cup (60 mL) sugar

¾ cup (180 mL) dark or spiced rum

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease a 10-cup (2.5 L) Bundt pan with butter. Dust with flour, knocking off any excess flour from the pan.
  2. Add the nuts to the pan if using, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl sift flour, salt, baking and custard powder, set aside.
  4. Using a handheld mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on first speed), cream the butter and sugar together. Add the oil to the mixture with the motor running. Use a flat spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  5. Whisk 4 eggs in a separate bowl while adding vanilla and almond extract.
  6. Pour 1 tablespoon of rum into the eggs, add the milk to the mixture and continue to whisk.
  7. Add the flour mixture to the creamed sugar and continue to mix.
  8. Slowly pour in the egg mixture until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
  9. Pour half of the batter into the pan, add the guava shells over the batter. Pour remaining batter to cover. Spread the batter evenly with a spatula.
  10. Transfer pan to the center rack of the oven and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until the top springs back and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then hold a plate over the pan while flipping to release the cake.
  11. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add all ingredients (except the rum) for the rum sauce. After the sugar dissolves and the butter melts, add the rum and cook for 1 minute.
  12. Remove pan from heat, poke holes around the cake with a skewer or toothpick. Pour the sauce over the cake to steep. Serve with rum raisin ice cream.