Rum and Raisin Pecan Loaf - Recipe by Benjamina Ebuehi
Ingredients
100mL dark rum
120 g raisins
175 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200 g light muscovado sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
30 g treacle
2 eggs
225 g plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Pinch of fine sea salt
60 g ricotta
60 g pecans, roughly chopped
For the syrup:
50 g light muscovado sugar
50mL water
Method
Add the rum to a small pan and heat gently until warmed through – don’t let it come to the boil. Remove from the heat and add in the raisins. Cover and set aside and let the raisins soak for a couple of hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease a 900 g loaf pan and line with baking paper.
Add the butter, sugar and orange zest to a bowl and cream together with an electric whisk for 3-4 minutes until pale and creamy. Add in the treacle and mix to combine, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Stir this into the butter mixture until thick and smooth, and then mix in the ricotta.
Drain the raisins from the rum, keeping the rum for later. Add the raisins and pecans to the batter, stirring in gently to evenly disperse. Spoon the batter into the lined pan, smooth the top and bake for 50-55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, add the sugar and water for the syrup to a small pan and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and it looks syrupy. Remove from the heat and pour in the leftover rum.
Prick the surface of the cake with a skewer or toothpick and pour the syrup over the warm cake. Leave to cool completely before serving with crème anglaise or cream.
