Description
Baba au Rhum is a classic French dessert featuring light and airy yeast cakes soaked in a fragrant rum syrup. Moist, buttery, and delicately sweet, this elegant dessert is traditionally served with whipped cream and fresh fruit for a timeless bakery-style treat.
Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 10 g instant yeast
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 200 ml water
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 100 ml rum
- Whipped cream, for serving
- Fresh berries or cherries (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Stir gently to distribute evenly.
- Add the eggs and warm water to the dry ingredients. Mix until a sticky dough forms.
- Add the softened butter gradually while kneading. Continue kneading for 8–10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Grease baba molds or a muffin tin with butter and fill each mold halfway with dough.
- Let the filled molds rise again for about 30 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until golden brown and lightly firm on top.
- Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by combining water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool slightly before stirring in the rum.
- Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes after baking. While still warm, dip each cake into the syrup or spoon syrup generously over them until fully soaked.
- Transfer the soaked cakes to a serving plate and chill slightly if desired.
- Serve topped with whipped cream and fresh berries or cherries.
Notes
- Dark rum gives a richer flavor, while light rum creates a milder taste.
- The dough is naturally sticky due to the butter and eggs; avoid adding excess flour.
- The cakes absorb syrup best while still warm.
- You can replace rum with orange juice or citrus syrup for a non-alcoholic version.
- Baba au Rhum tastes even better after soaking for several hours.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze without whipped cream for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 baba cake
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
