A Little Cake with a Big Story
Let me tell you about rum babas. They are tiny, golden cakes. They take a happy bath in sweet syrup. My friend Marie first made them for me. She served them with a wink and a cup of strong tea. I still laugh at that.
This cake traveled far to reach our kitchens. Bakers say a Polish king invented it long ago. He found his cake too dry. So he poured wine on it! Isn’t that a clever fix? It matters because cooking is about fixing mistakes. That’s how we learn.
Why Patience is Your Secret Ingredient
Making babas teaches you to wait. You mix the soft batter. Then you let it rise. It needs two quiet hours. This waiting time is important. It lets the yeast do its magic. The batter grows fluffy and light.
I like to watch it grow. It reminds me that good things take time. This matters in baking and in life. Rushing rarely makes things better. What’s a recipe you love that makes you wait?
The Joy of a Syrup Soak
Here is the fun part. The little cakes bake until golden. Doesn’t that smell amazing? Let them cool on a rack. Now, make the simple syrup. It’s just water and sugar warmed together.
Then you stir in the dark rum. Fun fact: The rum keeps the babas moist for days! Use tongs to dip each cake. Give it a five-second soak. This makes them sweet and wonderfully sticky.
A Shiny Finish with Jelly
The last step is my favorite. You warm some apple or apricot jelly. Just brush it on top of each baba. This gives them a beautiful, shiny coat. It looks like a professional did it!
It also adds a little fruity taste. The shine makes them special for guests. Do you prefer apple or apricot jam on your toast? I bet that’s the one you’ll like for the glaze.
Your Turn in the Kitchen
Now you know the story. You see why waiting is key. These babas are a treat to share. They feel fancy but are simple to make. Serve them with tea or after a Sunday dinner.
I love hearing your stories. Will you try making these babas? Tell me, what’s your favorite cake to bake for someone you love? Sharing food is how we share our hearts.
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| unbleached all-purpose flour | 3 cups (15 oz / 425 g) | For the batter |
| sugar | ¼ cup (1 ¾ oz / 50 g) | For the batter |
| instant yeast | 1 envelope (about 2 ¼ tsp) | For the batter |
| salt | ½ teaspoon | For the batter |
| water | ½ cup | Room temperature, for the batter |
| large eggs | 4 | Beaten, for the batter |
| orange zest | 2 teaspoons | Grated, for the batter |
| unsalted butter | 16 tbsp (2 sticks) | Softened but still cool, for the batter |
| currants | ½ cup | For the batter |
| water | 1 ¼ cups | For the syrup |
| sugar | ½ cup (3 ½ oz / 99 g) | For the syrup |
| dark rum | ½ cup | For the syrup |
| apple or apricot jelly | ½ cup | Heated, for the glaze |
Classic Rum Babas Made Simple
Hello, my dear. Come sit at the counter. Today we’re making rum babas. They sound fancy, don’t they? My friend Marie taught me this recipe years ago. We’d bake them and talk for hours. I still laugh at that. Her cat always tried to steal the butter. This version is simpler, I promise. It uses a mixer and popover pans. You’ll feel like a pastry chef. The smell of orange and yeast is pure happiness. Let’s begin.
Step 1: First, we wake up the yeast. Whisk your flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together. In your mixer bowl, mix the water, eggs, and orange zest. Doesn’t that smell amazing? Add your flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low until it’s all combined. It will look like a very loose, sticky dough. Now, add the soft butter one piece at a time. (My hard-learned tip: Your butter must be soft but still cool. If it’s melted, the batter gets greasy.) Beat it until it’s silky smooth. Finally, stir in the currants. They’re like little sweet surprises.
Step 2: Grease your popover pans lightly. Spoon the batter in, filling each cup only halfway. They need room to grow! Cover them loosely with sprayed plastic wrap. Find a warm, cozy spot for them. Let them rise for about two hours. They will puff up to the top. What do you think the yeast is eating to make them rise? Share below! I use this time to wash up. Or to sit with a cup of tea.
Step 3: Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake the babas until they’re a perfect golden brown. This takes about 15 minutes. Remember to rotate the pans halfway through. Ovens have hot spots, you know. Let them cool in the pans for five minutes. Then, gently turn them out onto a rack. They should feel light as a feather.
Step 4: Now for the magic syrup. Simmer water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. It’s that simple. Then turn off the heat. Carefully stir in the dark rum. The kitchen will smell wonderful. Let the syrup cool just a bit. It should be warm, not boiling hot.
Step 5: The fun part! Using tongs, dip each cooled baba into the warm syrup. Count to five slowly. Let the syrup soak right in. Place them back on the rack. Finally, brush the tops with warm apple jelly. It gives them a beautiful, shiny glow. And then, they are ready. Serve them with a smile.
Cook Time: About 2 hours 30 minutes (mostly rising)
Total Time: About 3 hours
Yield: Makes about 12 babas
Category: Dessert, Baking
Three Sweet Twists to Try
Once you master the classic, try a little twist. It makes baking an adventure. Here are three ideas I love.
Lemon & Poppy Seed: Use lemon zest instead of orange. Add a tablespoon of poppy seeds with the currants. So bright and cheerful!
Tropical Escape: Skip the currants. Use chopped dried pineapple and mango. Soak them in the rum first for extra flavor.
Chocolate Chip Bliss: Replace currants with mini chocolate chips. Use a rum syrup, or try a vanilla syrup instead. A child’s dream.
Which one would you try first? Comment below!
Serving Your Beautiful Babas
Presentation is part of the joy. Place a baba on a small plate. Add a dollop of softly whipped cream. A few fresh berries on the side look lovely. For a fancy touch, sprinkle just a bit of orange zest on top.
What to drink? A small cup of strong coffee is perfect with these. The bitterness balances the sweet rum. For a non-alcoholic treat, a glass of cold milk is my favorite. It reminds me of childhood snacks.
Which would you choose tonight? The coffee for the grown-ups, or the milk for a cozy night in? I think I’d have both.
Keeping Your Babas Beautiful
These little cakes are best enjoyed fresh. But life happens. You can store them for a day or two. Just keep them in a sealed container at room temperature.
I do not recommend freezing them after the syrup. The texture changes. You can freeze the plain, baked babas before soaking. Wrap them tightly. They will keep for a month.
To reheat, a quick warm-up in a low oven works. It brings back their softness. I once left a batch out overnight. They were a bit dry. A gentle warm-up saved them!
Batch cooking is a gift to your future self. Making a double batch of the plain cakes to freeze is smart. It means a fancy dessert is always close by. Have you ever tried storing it this way? Share below!
Baba Troubleshooting: Easy Fixes
Is your batter not rising? Check your yeast date. Your kitchen might be too cool. Find a warm, draft-free spot for it to grow.
Did the babas stick to the pan? Grease your pans very well. I remember when my first batch tore. I was so sad. Proper greasing prevents heartache.
Is the syrup not soaking in? Make sure the syrup is warm and the babas are cool. Poke them gently with a skewer first. This helps the sweet rum soak deep.
Fixing small problems builds your cooking confidence. You learn how ingredients behave. Getting the syrup right matters most. It gives the baba its wonderful, moist flavor. Which of these problems have you run into before?
Your Baba Questions, Answered
Q: Can I make these gluten-free? A: I have not tried it. A good gluten-free flour blend might work. The texture may be different.
Q: Can I make parts ahead? A: Yes. Make the batter and let it rise in the fridge overnight. Bake them in the morning.
Q: I don’t have currants. A: Use raisins or chopped dried cranberries. Any small, chewy fruit will be lovely.
Q: Can I halve the recipe? A: You can. Just use a smaller pan. Muffin tins work for mini babas.
Q: Is the rum necessary? A: For flavor, yes. For alcohol-free, use rum extract. Use a teaspoon mixed into the syrup. Which tip will you try first?
From My Kitchen to Yours
I hope you try these rum babas. They are a special treat. Baking them fills your home with a wonderful smell.
Fun fact: The name “baba” is said to come from a Polish king. He loved his rum-soaked cake!
I love hearing your stories. Tell me about your baking adventure. Have you tried this recipe? Share your experience in the comments.
Happy cooking!
—Grace Ellington.
Classic Rum Babas Made Simple
Description
Classic Rum Babas Made Simple: a light, yeasted cake soaked in a sweet rum syrup and glazed with jelly.
Ingredients
Syrup:
Glaze:
Instructions
- For the batter: Whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in medium bowl. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle, mix together water, eggs, and orange zest. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until very loose dough forms and no dry spots remain, scraping sides of bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes. With mixer running at low speed, add softened butter, one piece at a time. Continue to beat until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add currants and beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds longer.
- Lightly grease 2 popover pans and place batter in them, filling each cup halfway. Loosely cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray and let rise at warm room temperature until batter reaches tops of the popover pans, about 2 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until babas are golden brown, 14 to 17 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time. When babas have cooled slightly, about 5 minutes, remove from pans and place on wire racks to cool.
- For the syrup: Bring water and sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When sugar has dissolved, turn off heat; stir in rum.
- Using tongs, dip one cooled baba into warm rum syrup, turning to coat, leaving baba in syrup for 5 seconds. Place soaked baba back on rack. Repeat with remaining babas. Brush melted jelly onto top of each baba and serve.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is softened but still cool for best incorporation into the batter. The babas are best served the same day they are made.