Modern rum babas are of Parisian origin, and just as popular today as they were in the 1800s. An old favourite on the dessert trolley, the secret is to saturate the cakes with the syrup. Serve these scrumptious treats at a tea party.
Rum babas
Ingredients
Cake
- 25g fresh yeast
- 80ml lukewarm milk
- 250g cake flour
- a pinch of salt
- 30ml castor sugar
- 3 jumbo eggs
- 100g butter, softened
- 100g currants
Syrup
- 200ml honey
- 200ml water
- 60ml dark rum
- whipped cream, to garnish
- glacé cherries, to garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease 6 x 10cm ring-shaped tins, place them on baking sheets and set aside.
Crumble the yeast into a large bowl and stir in the milk and 50g of the flour. Set aside until frothy.
Add the remaining ingredients and combine to form a soft dough. Spoon it into the tins, filling each one halfway. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack with a tray underneath.
For the syrup, bring the honey and water to the boil in a heavy-based pot. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Set aside to cool.
Prick the cakes with a skewer and spoon the syrup over. Garnish with the cream and cherries, and serve.
Notes
To drink: A shot of Havanna Club.
