Reconstructed mexican punch cake with guava and hibiscus: Maite Otegui’s recipe

This cake by Maite Otegui (22:22 Cultura Dulce, Barcelona), published in DPAS 514, is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional fruit punch, a staple of Christmas celebrations in Mexico.

Its uniqueness lies in the deconstruction of the flavors that characterize this ancestral beverage. Inside, an apple and tamarind compote provides warm, sweet, and slightly acidic notes, while the guava mousse envelops the whole, and the reconstructed citrus crumble base incorporates the aromas of mandarin and orange. As a final touch, the hibiscus and cinnamon gelée concentrates the most representative nuances of the punch, evoking its spicy, floral, and refreshing aromas.

Punch

Reconstructed citrus crumble

Citrus crumble

200 g butter
200 g brown sugar
100 g almond flour
100 g flour
2 g mandarin peel
2 g orange peel

Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Bake at 170ºC for 15 minutes. Crumble and let cool.

Reconstructed crumble

300 g citrus crumble
100 g dark chocolate
100 g almond paste
2 g mandarin zest

Melt the chocolate, add the almond paste and zest. Gently fold into the crumble.

Apple compote

750 g apples
75 g sugar
30 g butter
50 g tamarind
5 g pectin

Dice the peeled apples. In a saucepan, make a dry caramel and add the butter, then the apples. Reduce the liquid, discard it, and blend with the tamarind. Strain and return to the heat until the apple is tender. Add the pectin. Pour into individual molds (or a large tart) and freeze.

Hibiscus Jelly

40 g water
50 g hibiscus flowers
5 g cinnamon
5 g citric acid
250 g sugar
20 g pectin

Infuse the water with the hibiscus for half an hour. Strain. Mix the dry ingredients and sprinkle over the mixture while whisking continuously for three minutes. Place in concentric layers in the molds.

Guava Mousse

170 g guava
120 g egg whites
170 g sugar
60 g water
8 g gelatin
330 g cream

Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Cook the water with the sugar and make an Italian meringue with the egg whites. Dissolve the gelatin in the guava and gently fold it in, first with the meringue and finally with the cream.

Sucré

120 g butter
2 g salt
90 g icing sugar
30 g ground almonds
1 egg
250 g all-purpose flour

Cream the butter, add the sugar, almond flour, and egg. Finish mixing with the flour until combined, but without developing the gluten. Roll out to 1.3 mm thick, cut out shapes, and bake at 165ºC for 15 minutes. Brush one side (the side that will be in contact with the cake) with cocoa butter.

Hibiscus powder

30 g hibiscus flowers
50 g sugar

Mix.

Assembly

In the chosen molds, fill halfway with mousse, add the frozen compote, and seal with the citrus crumble. Freeze, unmold, and place the jelly disc on top. Finish with the sugar on the top, which you will have sprinkled with hibiscus powder on the side without the cocoa butter glaze.

Discover other special products by Maite Otegui from in our Spanish pastry magazine, in issue 514 of DPAS