Queque Seco

Vegetarian Times Issue: July 1, 2003   p.58

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 1 cup raisins soaked in warm water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Generously butter and dust with flour 10-inch nonstick Bundt pan, and set aside.
2. Place butter in large mixing bowl, and beat until creamy. Slowly beat in sugar a little at a time. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and until mixture is creamy. Add flour, baking powder and salt alternately with vanilla, orange juice and rum. Drain raisins, and fold into batter.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff in separate bowl. Fold into batter, and, when smooth, scoop into Bundt pan.
4. Bake about 1 hour, or until top of cake is lightly browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool on rack for 5 minutes and invert cake onto rack to cool thoroughly.
5. To serve, place cake on serving dish, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and complement cake, if desired, with sliced tropical fruits such as sliced mangos, bananas, pineapple and papayas.