Light, airy yeast cakes soak up warm sugar syrup with rum and still keep their springy crumb. Orange segments and unsweetened whipped cream add freshness and a creamy contrast.
Baba au rhum is not an ordinary cake made with baking powder, but a small yeast cake. The dough contains eggs and butter, which makes it soft and sticky; after rising and baking, it develops an open, springy crumb. Those little holes matter: they soak up syrup without the cake immediately becoming heavy or dense. Use metal baba or savarin moulds, or a muffin tin with roomy cups. Grease them carefully so the risen cakes come out of the moulds in one piece after baking.
Give the dough time to rise. The first rise builds flavour and structure; after dividing it among the moulds, it needs a second rise. The exact time depends on the temperature in the kitchen, so pay attention to the volume: the dough should become visibly airy and rise almost to the rim of the moulds. The butter is gradually mixed into the dough, not melted beforehand. This keeps the dough supple and lets the crumb expand into an airy texture later. A stand mixer with a dough hook is handy, but you can also do it by hand with a sturdy spoon and a little patience.
The syrup should taste sweet and distinctly of rum; the cakes themselves are only lightly sweetened. Take the pan off the heat before adding the rum, so its aroma is preserved and the alcohol does not evaporate any further than necessary. Use a rum you enjoy drinking. Dark rum gives a fuller aroma, while a lighter rum is more subtle. Let the baked cakes cool first, then dip them in warm syrup. Turn them carefully and give them time to soak up the liquid, but don’t leave them so long that they fall apart.
Orange segments bring juiciness and a lightly bitter, fresh note alongside the rum; citrus is widely available, especially in the colder months, but this dessert can be served all year round. Cut out the segments without the white pith for a softer texture. The whipped cream is left unsweetened so the syrup doesn’t taste even sweeter. You can make the cakes and syrup ahead of time and soak the baba a few hours before serving. Store soaked cakes covered in the refrigerator and serve them chilled or at room temperature; keep the whipped cream chilled separately and whip it shortly before serving.
Mix the flour, yeast, 25 g sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the eggs lightly with the lukewarm milk and pour this into the dry ingredients.
Knead with the dough hook on low speed for 5 minutes, until a cohesive, sticky dough forms. Add the softened butter a cube at a time and knead for another 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a draught-free place for 60–75 minutes, until it has clearly increased in volume. Meanwhile, grease six metal moulds of about 150 ml well.
Divide the dough among the moulds; fill each mould about one-third full. Cover loosely and let rise for another 25–40 minutes, until the dough is almost at the rim. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional).
Bake the baba cakes for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Leave them in the moulds for 5 minutes, then turn them out and let them cool completely.
To make the syrup, bring the water and 200 g sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the rum and let the syrup cool until warm.
Place the cooled baba cakes in a large dish and pour the warm syrup over them. Carefully turn them a few times and leave them to soak for 10–15 minutes, spooning syrup over the tops in between.
Peel the oranges and cut out the segments between the membranes. Whip the cold cream until soft peaks form. Serve one baba per person with orange segments and a spoonful of unsweetened whipped cream.
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