Rum Baba - authentic

By ctozzi

Ingredients

• Baba:
• 2 1/2 cups (250 gr) flour
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp (5 gr) salt
• 2 1/2 Tbs (30 gr) sugar
• 1 package dry yeast (recipe says 1 1/3 tbsp 25 gr)
• 9 Tbs (125 gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup milk
• Rum Syrup:
• 2 cups (500 ml) water
• 2 1/2 cups (500 gr) sugar
• 1/2 cup good dark rum
• 2 tbsp (25 ml) apricot preserves

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from keyingredient.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat milk to 115 degrees F and then pour it into a small bowl. Stir in the yeast and 2 tsps of the sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

With the mixer on low speed and a dough hook attachment add flour and stir. Add the salt to the beaten eggs, mix together and add to the flour then add the yeast mixture. Let this mix at a gentle speed until completely combines. Turn off mixer and scrape side of bowl until everything is together in middle of bowl. Let combine.

Meanwhile let butter soften in a bowl and add remaining sugar. When mixed together, add this to dough gradually (a tbsp at a time) at a higher speed. Once this is combined, pour into a bowl that has been grease (dough is liquidy), cover and let stand in a warm place (75 degrees) for an hour and a half until doubled in volume.

With a ladle, stir dough and scoop into prepared baba tins (greased and floured). Fill half way and let stand another 20 minutes.

Place in pre-heated 400 degree oven. Bake 20 minutes, lower temperature to 350 and back another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil until sugar is disolved completely. Add rum or lemoncello if you prefer.

Cool baba and place in saucepan until well soaked. Once soaked, brush with apricot jam which has been softened over low heat.


and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater to form the dough into a ball. It will be very soft. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Drain the currants, fold them into the dough with a spatula, and spoon into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, cover the pan with a damp towel, and allow to rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and make the rum syrup.

Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then tap it out of the cake pan onto a baking rack set over a sheet pan. Pour all of the rum syrup very slowly onto the warm cake, allowing it all to soak in thoroughly. Amazingly, the liquid will be absorbed into the cake, so be sure to use all of the syrup.

Heat the preserves with 1 tablespoon of water until runny, press it through a sieve, and brush it on the cake. Serve with whipped cream piped into the middle of the cake plus an extra bowl on the side.

Rum Syrup

Place the sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves.

Pour into a 4-cup heat-proof measuring cup and allow to cool.

Add the rum and vanilla and set aside.

Whipped Cream

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't overbeat, or you'll end up with butter!