Babà al Rum

Babà al Rum (Neapolitan Rum-Soaked Yeast Cakes)

A signature pastry of Naples: soft, mushroom-shaped sponge cakes made with a rich yeast dough, baked until golden, then drenched in a sweet rum syrup until they glisten and weep. Serve with a little extra syrup or cold panna da montare alongside.

Prep

40 min

Cook

25 min

Total

65 min

Serves

8 small babà (about 90 g each)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz (about 1½ cups)) type 00 or all-purpose flour, Italian 00 if possible; AP flour is a fine substitute
• •7 g (2¼ tsp (1 standard sachet)) instant dry yeast
• •40 g (3 Tbsp) caster sugar, plus extra for the dough if using AP
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) whole milk, lukewarm
• •3 whole (3 large) eggs, at room temperature, plus 1 yolk if using AP flour
• •80 g (5½ Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened, high-fat European-style butter (≥82% fat) is traditional
• •1 tsp fine sea salt
• •1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, scraped
• •lemon zest, finely grated, zest of ½ lemon, optional but very Neapolitan
• •20 g (1½ Tbsp) soft butter for the moulds
• •500 ml (about 2 cups) water, for the syrup
• •400 g (about 2 cups) caster sugar, for the syrup
• •1 strip lemon peel, for the syrup
• •1 strip orange peel, for the syrup
• •1 vanilla pod, split vanilla pod, split, or 1 tsp extract, added off the heat
• •200 ml (scant 1 cup) dark rum (70° proof / 40% ABV), Neapolitan babà uses a generous measure; amber Jamaican or Italian dark rum are both correct
• •extra soft butter for brushing after soaking, soft butter, to give the surface that traditional shine

Steps

1. 1 Make the sponge: whisk the yeast and 5 g (1 tsp) of the sugar into the lukewarm milk in a small bowl; let it sit 5 minutes until foamy. Tip into a large bowl, add 60 g of the flour, stir to a smooth batter, cover, and leave in a warm spot 30–45 minutes until bubbly and doubled.
2. 2 Make the dough: add the eggs (and extra yolk if using), the remaining sugar, salt, vanilla and lemon zest to the sponge and beat with a wooden spoon or stand-mixer dough hook. Gradually work in the remaining flour to form a very soft, sticky dough. Knead 8–10 minutes (15 minutes by machine) until smooth and elastic.
3. 3 Incorporate the butter: add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until fully absorbed before adding the next. The dough will look greasy, then smooth, glossy and pull away from the bowl. Cover and prove 1–1½ hours at warm room temperature until nearly doubled (it should just hold a slow-falling drip from a spoon).
4. 4 Prepare moulds: generously butter 8 individual baba moulds (about 7 cm / 2¾ in across the base, or use a single ring/12-cup bundt tin). Only fill each mould one-third full — the babà will climb high.
5. 5 Shape and prove: deflate the dough gently. Pipe or spoon into the moulds, filling to one-third. Cover and prove 45–60 minutes at room temperature until the dough rises to the rim (it should not collapse when you touch it).
6. 6 Bake: heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (fan 180°C / 360°F). Bake the babà on the lower-middle rack for 20–25 minutes, until the tops are deep golden and an instant-read thermometer reads at least 95°C / 205°F in the centre. Cool in the moulds 5 minutes, then unmould onto a rack over a tray; they must still be very warm when soaked.
7. 7 Make the syrup while the babà bake: combine the water, sugar, lemon peel, orange peel and split vanilla pod in a wide saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then simmer 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, fish out the peels and pod, and add the rum. Keep the syrup just below a simmer — it must be hot when the babà go in so they soak all the way through.
8. 8 Soak the babà: drop the warm babà into the hot rum syrup and let them bathe 3–5 minutes per side, turning carefully with a slotted spoon, until they feel heavy, saturated and stop bubbling. Lift out, drain briefly, and place on a rack set over a tray.
9. 9 Finish and serve: while still glistening, brush the surface with a little soft butter for the classic shiny crust. Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally within a few hours of soaking, with extra syrup spooned over or cold whipped cream alongside. If made ahead, store soaked babà in a sealed container in their syrup in the fridge for up to 3 days; bring back to room temperature or warm gently before serving.