Baba Au Rhum (Rum Baba) by Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)

"I love so many of Ina Garten's recipes - I have seldom been let down. This is one fantastic baba recipe, nice and boozy without being overwhelming. I have adapted it slightly to serve my love of citrus. Prep time does not include rising time. From Barefoot in Paris book."
 
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Ready In:
2hrs
Ingredients:
18
Serves:
8
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ingredients

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directions

  • Make the rum syrup:

  • Place the sugar, lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a 4-cup heatproof measuring cup and allow to cool. Add the rum and vanilla and set aside.
  • Make the whipped cream:

  • Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't overheat, or you'll end up with butter!
  • Make the baba:

  • Combine the currants, lemon zest and rum in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush a 5-cup (6 1/2 X 3 1/2-inch) tube pan or kugelhopf mold with the melted butter. Be sure to coat every crevice of the pan. Heat the milk to 115°F (46°C) and then pour it into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in the yeast and sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  • With the mixer on low speed, first add the eggs, then the flour, salt, and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater to form the dough into a ball. It will be very soft. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Drain the currants and zest (empty the rum remaining into the prepared syrup), fold them into the dough with a spatula, and spoon into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, cover the pan with a damp towel, and allow to rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and make the rum syrup. Bake the cake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then tap it out of the cake pan onto a baking rack set over a sheet pan.
  • Pour all of the rum syrup very slowly onto the warm cake, allowing it all to soak in thoroughly. Amazingly, the liquid will be absorbed into the cake, so be sure to use all of the syrup.
  • Heat the preserves with 1 tablespoon of water until runny, press it through a sieve, and brush it on the cake. Serve with whipped cream piped into the middle of the cake plus an extra bowl on the side.

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Reviews

  1. I made my first Baba using this recipe. It was overcooked -- 50 minutes is WAY too long. I made a second attempt and it came out great -- cooked for 30 minutes.
     
  2. Lenghty process but sooo worth it! I was looking for a dessert to impress my husband's boss and this worked. Was also worried it wouldn't turn out well but it did. Note: 1/4 oz yeast is about 2 tsp.
     
  3. Next time any one is in Naples buy as many baba's on the street as you can. They are all delicious! (Oh BTW, 100 bucks for every currant you find in them!) Sorry Ina, no currants! Otherwise great recipe. Watch the cooking time, I have black baba molds so if you do also be extra careful.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<style>body { background: url("http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3639/3512121819_f2f1aaf050.jpg?v=0"); background-repeat: repeat-y; }</style> OK, here goes. I live in Athens, Greece. I moved out here many, many years ago from Ottawa, Canada - so I am blessed in having two wonderful heritages! I suffer from compulsive obsessive behaviour with regard to food and my psychiatrist thought it would be a good idea to find a 'society' where many have the same problem and try to find a cure. So far, I've copied a couple of thousand recipes from this site and my psychiatrist has thrown the towel in and refuses to answer the phone when I call. What did I do wrong? Got 3 kids that keep me on the go - 10 and under at this point (2008) - I may not get round to updating this for a few years, so you'll have to do your own maths. I teach English full-time and Greek Cookery part-time. I would like to make the cooking part of it full-time and the English Grammar part of it part-time. That's all for now.
 
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