Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/3 cup dark rum
- 8 to 10 large navel oranges
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
- 3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- Accompaniment: superpremium vanilla ice cream
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Simmer raisins and rum in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until rum is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
- Cut a very thin slice off bottom of each orange so it will stand without rolling. Cut a 3/4-inch-thick slice off top of each, removing any flesh from tops and reserving them. Remove as much flesh as possible from orange with a sharp knife and a spoon (reserving flesh for another use if desired), leaving an empty shell.
- Sift together flour, baking soda and powder, and salt. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla and zest. Alternately fold in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in raisins.
- Fill orange shells two-thirds full with batter and put tops in place. Wrap oranges individually in foil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven 50 minutes.
- Transfer oranges in foil to a rack. Remove foil when cool enough to handle, then cool oranges on racks at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
