Rum Baba or Baba au Rhum

Rich and light-textured, a rum baba or baba au rhum is a yeast cake soaked in a rum or kirsch-flavored syrup and glazed with apricot jam. They can then be decorated with glacé fruit and served with Crème Chantilly.

A delicious dessert for a lunch or dinner party, babas can be baked a day or two in advance of serving, but should be reheated in a cool oven for 5 minutes so that they are warm when soaked in the syrup. Usually they are baked in small ring moulds but can be baked in a large ring mould as well.

RECIPE

Serves 8
Oven: 375F (200C)

Ingredients

• 2 packages dry yeast
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs
• 3 and 1/2 cups flour (all purpose)
• 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)
• 1 packet (8 oz)glace cherries coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 cup warm apricot preserves or glaze
• maraschino cherries and coconut (optional) for decoration

Rum Syrup: 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup rum

PREPARATION

Step 1. In large bowl sprinkle yeast over water and stir until dissolved. Beat in sugar, salt and eggs. Add 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Add butter and remaining flour and beat smooth. Stir in chopped fruit and nuts and turn into greased and floured 10 x 4 inch tube pan (ring mould). Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until dough is 1 inch from pan top (approximately 1 hour).

Step 2. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes. The baba is done when a skewer inserted into it comes out clean and when the top is brown. Unmould and cool slightly on rack.

Step 3. To make sauce, dissolve the sugar in the water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil over moderate heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in most of the rum. Taste and add a little more rum if neccessary.

Step 4. Place the warm baba in a shallow dish large enough to hold it comfortably. Pierce holes in cake with meat skewer. Pour syrup in holes all over top of cake. Let stand for about an hour, or until cake has absorbed enough syrup to be well moistened. Baste frequently.

Step 5. Place on serving platter and sprinkle the remaining rum over the baba. Glaze with warmed apricot preserves or glaze. Decorate with cherries and coconut, if desired.

Serve with whipped cream or Crème Chantilly.

Crème Chantilly
Place 2 cups heavy cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla essence in a chilled bowl, using a cold whisk, whip lightly, adding icing (confectioner's sugar) to taste.