French Baba au Rhum Recipe
Baba au Rhum is a small French cake which is saturated in a syrup made with alcohol, usually rum, and topped with cream.
The batter for Baba au Rhum contains yeast, allowing the cake to rise into a tall cylinder shape. It also contains orange and lemon zest which gives the cake a subtle citrus flavor.
This cake is usually made in a smaller, individual size, but can sometimes be made larger, similar to a Bundt cakes. Usually, the batter is baked in baba molds, which give the dessert a distinctive shape with stripes around it.
Origin & Cultural Significance
The original Baba cakes were tall, cylindrical yeast cakes from Eastern Europe, believed to have been brought to France in the 18th Century by Stanislaus I, the King of Poland. The word ‘Baba’ translates to ‘old woman’ or ‘grandmother’ in most Slavic languages.
Baba au Rhum was invented in Paris, France in 1835. It is believed that the rum and cream were added to baba cake which had dried up.
Today, Baba au Rhum can be found in patisseries and restaurants across France.
French Baba au Rhum Recipe
Baba au Rhum is a small French cake which is saturated in a syrup made with rum, and filled with cream.
Ingredients
- Flour - 2 cups
- Active dry yeast - 2 tsp
- Warm milk - 1/2 cup
- Eggs - 3
- Sugar - 1/4 cup
- Salt - 1/4 tsp
- Unsalted butter (softened) - 7 tbsp
- Water - 1 cup
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Dark rum - 2/3 cup
- Whipped cream
- Fresh berries
Instructions
- Begin by dissolving the yeast in warm milk in a small bowl. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it begins to foam.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt together.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture, eggs, and softened butter.
- Mix everything together until a smooth, elastic dough forms. This can be mixed by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
- Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Grease baba molds with butter.
- Divide the dough into equal portions and shape into balls, place the dough balls into the greased baba molds.
- Bake the babas in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
- While the dough is baking, prepare the rum syrup. In a saucepan, combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and carefully stir in the dark rum.
- Once the babas are baked, remove them from the oven and immediately pour the rum syrup over them, allowing it to soak in.
- Leave them cool slightly in the molds before carefully removing the babas and placing them on a serving platter.
- Serve the Baba au Rhum with whipped cream and fresh berries on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 810Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 197mgSodium: 222mgCarbohydrates: 117gFiber: 4gSugar: 67gProtein: 14g
Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.
