Rum Baba - Rum Cakes Recipe

Although it takes a little effort to make Rum Baba, it is worth it for a special rum filled dessert.

Ingredients

Baba - Cake
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
4 large beaten eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablepsoon of sugar
1 1/3 tablespoons active dry yeast
9 tablespoon of butter
1/2 cup warm milk
For the Syrup
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 oz. glass of rum
2 tablespoons apricot jam - warm this in a saucepan so it is softened and runny
Confectioners' sugar to sprinkle on top

Directions

The Baba

Put yeast into a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons sugar and the warm milk. Mix together then just leave until the foam forms on the surface.

To make the baba you need a mixer with a bread hook attachment.

In the mixing bowl put the flour and turn the mixer on low speed. Add the salt to the beaten eggs, mix together then add to the mixing bowl with the flour in it and continue to have the mixer on low speed. Now add the yeast/milk mixture to the batter. Leave it to mix together completley on a low speed then turn it off and with a spatula remove any batter from the sides of the bowl and put to the center of the bowl and be sure all the flour is mixed in.

Meanwhile have the butter in a bowl at room temperature so that it will soften. Add the remaining sugar to the butter and mix together by hand with a spatula.

Turn the mixer to a high speed and add the butter sugar mixture to the dough.

Put the finished batter into a large buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, let it rise for 1 1/2 hours at a very warm temperature.

After 1 1/2 hours the batter will have doubled in size. Stir with a ladel. The dough will collapse back to its original size.

Now scoop the batter into baba baking forms that should be well buttered and floured beforehand. Only fill the baba molds 1/2 of the way.

Depending on the size of your baba moulds it will fill 12 that are just over 2" high with 1" diameter at the base. Less baba molds if they are a little larger as the one shown in the picture which is a mold that is more like a muffin tin. Place the filled individual molds (if using) onto a baking sheet or if it is a muffin type mold leave as is and leave the dough to rest for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the tray with the baba in molds into the oven and bake for 10 minutes at this heat.

Lower the heat to 350 degrees F. and bake for another 10 minutes.

When baked remove from the oven, and leave in their molds until they have cooled.

The Sauce

In a saucepan put the water to boil, add the sugar and dissolve sugar completely.

Now add the rum.

Turn off the heat.

Assembly

Take the baba's out of their molds and 2 at a time, place them into the saucepan that has the rum syrup and soak them well. Once the cakes are well soaked take them out using a large slotted spoon and let them drain a bit.

Put the apricot jam into a pot on the stovetop on low heat and warm it until it is softened.

Once the baba cakes have been soaked in the rum syrup, put them onto a plate and with a pastry brush apply the softened, warm apricot jam onto each cake.

Continue the process until all the baba rum cakes are done.

You can spoon a little more rum syrup onto each serving if you want a more pronounced rum flavor.

Dust with confectioners' sugar.

You can also serve with fresh whipping cream.