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Charred clementine and rum individual upside-down cakes

by Jeanne Horak on December 31, 2012 15 Comments in Baking (sweet), Dessert

And here we are again – the fnal blog post of another year.

In 2011 my final post was a visual toast to my readers.

In 2010 my final post was a recipe for shredded Brussels sprouts with pancetta & pine nuts

In 2009 my final post was a Christmas message (gulp – a whole week without a blog post?!).

In 2008, ever the practical one, it was a recipe for a leftover Christmas gammon & caramelised shallot quiche.

In 2007, my final post was a recipe for a warming, wintry Jerusalem artichoke & potato gratin.

In 2006, my final post was the launch of my, Andrew and Johanna’s monthly event Waiter, There’s Something In My…

In 2005 , my final post was the rather inspired roundup of the nursery rhyme edition of my beloved ovo-literary monthly event, the End of Month Egg on Toast Extravaganza.

And in 2004, my final post of my first year of blogging was a reminiscence of new year’s eves gone by and featured (astonishingly!) some ABBA lyrics.

 

 

But as every good cook knows, a good meal should end with something sweet and so because I have neglected to do so up to now, I will finish my year in 2012 with a dessert recipe that will eclipse the new year fireworks – but yet it isn’t rocket science to make. The basic recipe is an adaptation of something I made years ago with dried apricots and pistachios, but the flavour inspiration comes from the McCormick 2013 Flavour Forecast. The Flavour Forecast is the result of a year of culinary exploration, data discovery, and insight development by an international group of McCormick experts, including chefs, sensory scientists, trend trackers and food technologists.  The objective is to  identify the trends and flavours in food and cooking worldwide, and then to hold a global to pool their insights and establish a limited number of global themes which seem to be emerging in locations as diverse as Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, Latin America and North America. I previously used one of their five trend themes identified in the forecast (“Global, my way”) as a springboard to inspire my South African chakalaka-spiced hummus, but this time it was another of the themes that caught my eye:  no apologies necessary.  The Forecast describes the thinking behind this trend as follows:

“In a rational rebellion against the “always-on”  mindset of modern life, food lovers are making the conscious choice to stop and enjoy the moment. This unapologetic escape from  everyday demands is a necessary break, a chance to savour each detail of the eating experience. Diving head first into sumptuous flavours, we are staking our claim to the pleasures we crave and the satisfaction we deserve until, finally, all seems right with the world.”

Doesn’t that sound like a tailor-made set of new year’s resolutions for 2013?? One of the recipes sent to accompany this trend was for a charred orange sorbet with a warm rum sauce. That’s what set my mind racing and ed me to adapt my old recipe with these new flavours to create a simple yet spectacular dessert fit for a New Year’s Eve dinner.  Using clementines with their softer skin means that you don’t have to peel them as the skin is soft enough to eat, but the essential marriage of rum and citrus remains the same (and it is fabulous, I have to say!). The cake itself is dense yet never heavy, thanks to the whipped egg whites, and the syrup is rich but never too sweet.  I must warn you, though, that these little cakes are addictive! Thanks once again to McCormick for sharing their forecast and their recipes with me – I foresee a year of flavourful innovation and experimentation in the Cooksister kitchen.

 

To all my readers – thank you for your support, comments and friendship in 2012.  May you find time in 2013 to stop, switch off and enjoy the moment; to escape regularly from the demands of everyday life; to dive into flavours and experiences that enrich your life; and that you may enjoy health, prosperity and friendship.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

 

5.0 from 4 reviews
Charred clementine and rum individual upside-down cakes
 
Print
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
1 hour
 
These individual charred clementine & rum upside down cakes are simple to make but provide a show-stoppingly decadent dessert at the end of any dinner party.
Author: Jeanne Horak-Druiff
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: International
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 90 + 45 ml orange juice
  • 45ml dark rum
  • 6 horizontal slices of unpeeled clementine, about 3mm thick (you will probably need 3 large clementines)
  • 3 Tbsp butter + butter for greasing the ramekins
  • 85g firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 190g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 63g + 63g granulated sugar, divided (plus extra for charring)
  • 85ml milk
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large egg whites at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Lightly butter the inside of six oven-proof ramekins and then line with baking paper (I found it was easiest to cut circles for the bases and strips for the sides, rather than to try and use a single piece). Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Slice the largest clementines you can find horizontally (through their “equator”) to get 6 slices large enough to cover the base of your ramekins.
  3. Melt a knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan till it bubbles, sprinkle each slice of clementine generously with granulated sugar and fry till slightly charred, then sprinkle each with sugar, flip over and repeat. Place one slice in the base of each prepared ramekin.
  4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Set aside 1Tbsp in a small bowl for later. Add 85ml of the orange juice and brown sugar to the butter in the saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for about 1 minute or until the mixture thickens slightly to form a caramel sauce.
  5. Carefully divide the caramel sauce between the six ramekins. Pour the sauce over the clementine slice in the base of each ramekin and gently swirl to get an even layer.
  6. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl. To the reserved melted butter, add 63g of the granulated sugar, milk, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir well. Add this to flour mixture and beat well to ensure there are no lumps. Set aside.
  7. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks almost form.
  8. Gently fold about a quarter of the egg white mixture into batter, then gently fold in the remaining egg white mixture.
  9. Carefully pour the batter over the charred clementine slices in the ramekins. Bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes or until a wooden tooth pick inserted in centre of the cakes comes out clean.
  10. In the meanwhile, return the saucepan that you used for the caramel to the heat with the last Tbsp of butter and add the remaining orange juice and rum. Bring to the boil and reduce to a syrupy consistency.
  11. After removing the cakes from the oven, allow to stand for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then carefully invert each ramekin onto an individual serving plate. Lift the ramekin carefully – it should come away from the cake easily – and peel off the baking paper. Pour a little of the orange rum syrup over each pudding and serve immediately with a scoop of double cream.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe
3.5.3229

 

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  1. Robin O says

    December 31, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    Jeanne – Happy New Year! What a sensual combination of rum, citrus that rings in a resolution to pause, create and enjoy. Beautiful image, recipe and sentiment.

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      January 4, 2013 at 11:32 am

      And a very happy new year to you too, lovely! Glad you like the recipe – do try it as it is simple but pretty show-stopping. And yes – here’s to taking a pause in 2013 and savour the moment 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

    December 31, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    That looks fantastic! I am off to check out the McCormick forecast for myself.

    Brilliant Abba song – I posted the video at the end of my first blog year too!

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      January 4, 2013 at 11:33 am

      Hahaha – can’t believe we posted the same ABBA video at the end of our respective first years of blogging! Brilliant – the firm foundation for a friendship if you ask me 🙂

      Reply
  3. andrew says

    January 1, 2013 at 5:05 pm

    As you know I am rather partial to a pudding… and this looks fantastically right up my street!

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      January 4, 2013 at 11:34 am

      Oh yes, this would be right up your street! Not girly at all and a nice match for a glass of pudding wine if you ask me! All the best for 2013 – here’s to many more good times together!

      Reply
  4. Rosa says

    January 2, 2013 at 6:21 pm

    Those cakes must be divine! What a wonderful dessert.

    Best wishes for 2013!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      January 4, 2013 at 11:35 am

      Thanks Rosa – do try the cakes, they are so easy to whip up and so yummy! Thanks for the new year’s wishes – wishing you a delicious year in 2013 and many more culinary adventures 🙂

      Reply
  5. Jamie says

    January 4, 2013 at 8:50 am

    Happy Happy New Year, sister! A what a spectacular dessert for sure! I must try that clementine/rum combo. They are beautiful and my tastebuds are tingling just looking at the photos. Wishing you and Nick a marvelous, happy, healthy and prosperous 2013… xoxo

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      January 4, 2013 at 11:36 am

      And the happiest of new years to you too, Saucy! It’s a great recipe and v versatile – have used the basic cake recipe with both apricots and clementines now, and want to try out other fruits too. And of course, everything tastes better with a splash of rum (or Cognac, or whisky, or…!) ;o)

      Reply
  6. Krista says

    January 4, 2013 at 9:11 am

    A very, VERY Happy New Year to you, Jeanne!! 🙂 I love ALL the ways you’ve celebrated New Year’s Past on your blog. 🙂 So much deliciousness and cheer and comfort. I hope this year is truly wonderful for you. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      January 4, 2013 at 11:38 am

      And a fabulous new year to you too, lovely lady! Glad you like my weird and wonderful selection of year-end posts – variety is the spice of life (or, at least, of blogging!). It’s been a real pleasure journeying with you this year and catching up on your beautiful sunny posts from Down Under – all the best for 2013 and look forward to more of your travels and thoughts in the new year!

      Reply
  7. Alexander says

    January 6, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    This is a good dish to begin the year.

    happy new year

    Reply
  8. Denise | TLT says

    January 7, 2013 at 4:20 pm

    Love this recipe and resolution!
    A bit late (I was on holiday), but from a good heart: wishing you a wonderful new year full of health, happiness and delicious food, Jeanne! Hope we will see each other this year, it’s about time! xoxo

    Reply
  9. Charlie says

    January 7, 2013 at 7:17 pm

    The perfect cake, the perfect sentiments. My glamorous, high heel wearing Granny used to call enjoying the moment ‘having a minute’. I wish you and your family a mountain of those minutes in 2013.

    Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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