Baba au rhum (also known as rum baba) is a lovely yeast-risen cake studded with dried fruit and soaked in hot rum syrup. Once the darling of French cuisine, it fell out of favor, but it is so good to see it back and as popular as ever.
This recipe features the delicate flavor of citrus with just a hint of orange and lemon zest. Likewise, a small amount of warm vanilla has been added to the soaking syrup to cut down on the rum’s boldness. The result is a rum baba that’s full of complex layers of flavor while still holding to the traditional French recipe. — Spruce Eats
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing the molds
- 3/4 cup golden raisins, or dried currants
- 3 tablespoons dark rum
For the Syrup
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup dark rum, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup apricot preserves, warmed
- Vanilla Chantilly cream, for garnish
Method
- Gather the ingredients.
- Stir the yeast and the warm water together in a large bowl and allow the yeast to dissolve for 5 minutes. Lightly beat the eggs into the yeast and water.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, citrus zests, and salt together. Stir the mixture into the yeast and eggs.
- Work the mixture in the bowl with a spatula until it holds together. On a very lightly floured surface, knead the dough with the softened butter until it becomes soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough will be very sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover the dough, and allow it to rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, soak the raisins or currants in 3 tablespoons of rum.
- Once the dough has doubled, fold the rum-soaked fruit into it.
- Grease the baba molds and divide the dough evenly among them. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F. Cover the molds and allow the dough to rise until the dough has just started to rise above the molds’ edges, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Uncover the babas and bake them until they turn golden brown and begin to pull away from the sides of the molds, 20 to 25 minutes
- Immediately remove the babas from the molds and allow them to cool on a wire rack while you make the rum syrup.
- FOR SYRUP
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the water and sugar to a boil until the syrup has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the syrup from the heat and stir the rum and vanilla extract into the mixture.
- ASSEMBLE THE BABA
- Place the babas into the hot rum syrup in batches, turning them several times, allowing them to soak up the syrup. They will swell and absorb most of the syrup. Continue to soak the babas until all the syrup is used.
- Carefully transfer each baba onto a dessert plate and brush with a generous amount of warmed apricot preserves.
- Garnish the rum babas with vanilla Chantilly cream to serve.
FROM: https://www.thespruceeats.com/classic-french-rum-baba-recipe-1375132
