Looking for an impressive dessert? Check out the Baba au Rhum cake recipe! It’s a French classic yeast cake soaked in sweet rum syrup for a moist and flavorful treat, traditionally baked in a cylindrical mold and garnished with whipped cream and fruit.
While it may take a little time to make, the reaction on everyone’s face when they take that first bite is worth every minute! Friends who do not usually eat dessert cannot pass on this cake.
Key Baba au Rhum Ingredients & Why
Yeast
Baba au Rhum uses yeast-leavened dough, not cake batter.
Flour
We use all-purpose flour for the dough.
Butter
Unsalted butter is used for both the dough and greasing the baba molds.
Eggs are a key ingredient in our dough.
Granulated sugar is used in both the dough and syrup.
Salt
Salt enhances the dough’s flavor.
Rum
Our signature syrup is infused with rum.
Vanilla extract
We add pure vanilla extract to balance the rum’s richness.
Apricot jam
Our glaze features delightful apricot jam.
Citrus zest and juice
We brighten the flavor with orange and lemon zest and juice in the syrup.
Raisins
We give this classic a twist with the addition of raisins.
Whipped cream
Finish with a dollop of whipped cream for pure indulgence.
How Do You Make The Best Baba au Rhum?
- Mix currants and rum in a small bowl. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and thoroughly coat a 5-cup (6 1/2 by 3 1/2-inch) tube pan or kugelhopf mold. Warm the milk to 115°F, then add it to the electric mixer bowl with yeast and sugar. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
- Combine eggs, flour, salt, and 4 tablespoons of butter in the mixer at low speed. Gradually raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape and mold the soft dough into a ball. Cover with a damp towel and allow it to double in size for about 1 hour.
- Drain currants, fold into dough, spoon into pan, cover, and allow to rise for 50 mins to 1 hour.
- Quickly preheat the oven to 375°F and whip up the Rum Syrup.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick is clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then release from the pan onto a rack. Gradually pour all the Rum Syrup over the warm cake, ensuring complete absorption.
- Warm preserves with 1 tbsp water until runny, strain, brush on cake. Serve with Whipped Cream in center and an extra bowl on the side for indulgence.
- Dissolve sugar in 1 1/2 cups of water over high heat in a saucepan. Once cooled, mix in rum and vanilla, then set aside.
- Whip cream in an electric mixer with a whisk until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat and accidentally turn it into butter.
Pro Tips For Making Baba au Rhum Recipe
- First, prepare the rum syrup ahead to allow it to cool. This prevents the babas from getting too soggy.
- Half-fill the baba molds after greasing them with butter and flour, as they will rise significantly during baking.
- Use a syringe to evenly distribute 10ml (about 1 tbsp) of syrup into each baba, ensuring they are well coated. If you lack a syringe, trim the bottoms before soaking and extend the soaking time.
- Generously apply the glaze to the babas using a pastry brush, repeating this step 2 or 3 times.
- Just before serving, pipe whipped cream onto the tops of the babas.
- Store any leftover syrup in the fridge; it remains good indefinitely for future use.
- Freeze unsoaked, baked babas for up to 2 months. Prepare them a day in advance and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Use room temperature, unsalted butter for baking in this recipe.
- Add flour sparingly to the dough, using just enough to make it manageable. Chilled dough is easier to work with.
- Enhance the flavor of the babas by adding citrus zest or lemon/orange juice to the syrup, balancing any overwhelming spice notes.
How to Store Baba au Rhum
- Leftover rum babas, once assembled, stay fresh in the fridge for approximately 2 days.
- To prepare babas ahead of time and assemble later, soak them in syrup and store in a Tupperware container. The soaked cakes stay fresh for 3 to 5 days in the fridge, allowing you to assemble the dessert on the day of serving.
- Freeze any baked, unsoaked babas for up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature a day in advance.
- After applying the frosting, store the Babas in the fridge.
Can You Freeze Baba au Rhum?
You can freeze Baba au Rhum for up to 2 months. To do so, store the babas in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw them overnight and follow the recipe the next day.
Additionally, you can freeze baked, unsoaked babas for 2 months, then prepare them a day ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. To get a head start, freeze the cooled babas, defrost, briefly warm in the oven, soak in syrup, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions About Baba au Rhum
What are the origins of Baba au Rhum?
Baba au Rhum’s roots lie in the babka, a yeast cake still cherished in Poland and Ukraine. “Baba” means “grandmother,” and “babka” affectionately translates to “little grandmother.” In France, pastry chef Nicolas Stohrer revitalized a dry babka by soaking it in Malaga wine. Legend has it that in 1835, a Stohrer descendant switched out the wine for rum, giving rise to the iconic Baba au Rhum.
How is Baba au Rhum made?
Baba au Rhum is a delectable treat. It starts with yeast dough, baked to perfection in a distinct round mold. After baking, it takes a flavorful plunge into a mix of rum and sugar syrup. To elevate its taste, it’s commonly paired with whipped cream or fresh fruit.
What is the difference between Baba au Rhum and Savarin?
Sharing the same dough, Baba au Rhum and Savarin diverge in size and shape. Savarin takes on the form of a larger doughnut, while Babas are commonly presented in individual portions.
Baba au Rhum Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dried currants
- 1 tablespoon good dark rum
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 package dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Rum Syrup recipe follows
- 3/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon water
- Whipped Cream, recipe follows
Instructions
- Start by combining currants and rum in a small bowl. While that sits, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and generously coat a 5-cup (6 1/2 by 3 1/2-inch) tube pan or kugelhopf mold. Next, heat the milk to 115°F. Now, pour the warmed milk into the electric mixer's bowl equipped with the paddle attachment. Stir in the yeast and sugar, allowing it to rest for 5 minutes.
- Start by adding eggs, followed by flour, salt, and the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to the mixer on low speed. Then, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. Afterward, scrape down the bowl and beater to shape the dough into a soft ball. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it double in size, approximately 1 hour.
- After draining the currants, gently fold them into the dough using a spatula, and then spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Ensure the top is smooth, cover the pan with a damp towel, and let it rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, which should take approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- Begin by preheating the oven to 375°F, then move on to making the Rum Syrup.
- Begin by baking the cake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick emerges clean. After a brief 10-minute cooling period, elegantly transfer it from the pan to a rack. Now, with finesse, drizzle the entire batch of Rum Syrup onto the warm cake, ensuring it permeates every nook and cranny.
- Gently warm the preserves with a tablespoon of water until it's runny. Strain the mixture and delicately brush it onto the cake. Serve the cake with Whipped Cream, piped into the center, and provide an additional bowl on the side for added delight.
- In a small saucepan, place sugar and 1 1/2 cups of water. Cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Afterward, pour this mixture into a 4-cup heat-proof measuring cup and let it cool. Finally, add the rum and vanilla, and set it aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream until it thickens. Then, add sugar and vanilla while continuing to whip until stiff peaks form. Be cautious not to overbeat, as this can result in butter.
