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Baba au Rhum

Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Resting time2 hrs
Total Time3 hrs
Course: cake, Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Frenchbaking, Traditions
Servings: 10 cakes

Equipment

  • Kitchen machine, Muffin molds, Piping bags

Ingredients

Baba

  • 250 g (8,75 oz) All-purpose Flour
  • 10 g (0,35 oz) Fresh yeast
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) Water
  • 20 g (0,7 oz) Sugar
  • 5 g (0,2 oz) Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 50 g (1,75 oz) Butter

Syrup

  • 700 ml (3 cups) Water
  • 400 g (14 oz) Sugar
  • 200 ml (4/5 cup) Rhum + rum to add just before to serve
  • 2 Oranges
  • 2 Lemons
  • ½ Vanilla Bean

Whipped Cream

  • 400 ml (1 3/4 cup) Whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • ½ Vanilla bean

Instructions

Baba

  • Mix 60g (2,1 oz) flour, 50ml (1/5 cup)water and the crumbled yeast in the kitchen machine. Use the dough hook and let it work for at least 5 minutes.
  • Cover the dough with the rest of the flour and leave a kitchen towel over the bowl. Let it rest for 45 minutes. The dough will come out through the flour a bit like a volcano.
  • Melt the butter and set it aside to cool down.
  • Mix the sugar, salt, 50ml (1/5 cup) of water, and the eggs and add to the dough/flour. Mix at medium speed for around 10 minutes. The dough should be very sticky.
  • Replace the dough hook with the paddle and add 25ml (1/10 cup) water little by little while the machine is working. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 45 minutes.
  • Add the butter and mix for a couple of minutes.
  • Use a piping bag to place the dough into (buttered and floured) muffin moulds. The dough might be a bit difficult to work with. Your fingers are doomed to get sticky! Make sure to only fill up until 1/3 as it will rise a lot!
  • Leave to rise in the oven at 35°c (95°F) for 30min.
  • Remove the molds from the oven and preheat it to 190°C (375°F). Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the Babas are golden brown and dry.

Syrup

  • Bring to boil the water, sugar, zest, and juice from the lemons and oranges, and the half vanilla bean cut open,
  • Remove the pan from the heat, add the rum, and cover with a lid. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes before to filter the mixture.

Whipping cream

  • Add the cream, sugar, and vanilla bean grains into a cold bowl and mix until a creamy and firm texture.

How to soak the Baba's

  • Soak the babas in the hot syrup for 3 minutes, and leave to drip of on a grid for a few minutes.
  • Pour a bit of syrup over the babas 2-3 times letting them drip of in-between
  • Place delicately the baba on a plate and drizzle 2 tsp of rum on top. Cover with whipped cream and fruit (eg. strawberries)

Notes

You can freeze the Baba's that you have not soaked. Defrost and soak in syrup just before serving.