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Two soft, delicate Baba au Rhum (Classic Rum Baba) cakes are served with fresh strawberry and whipped cream. Syrup is drizzled from top to bottom.
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Baba au Rhum Recipe (Classic Rum Baba)
Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
25 mins
Soak Time
2 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 25 mins
 

Learn how to make our luscious Baba au Rhum Recipe (Classic Rum Baba) and indulge in this iconic French boozy dessert at home!

Servings: 12 servings
Author: Gemma Stafford
Ingredients
For the Babas
  • 1 cup (8 oz/240 ml) boiling water
  • ½ cup (2½ oz/71 g) raisins
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1¾ cup (8 ¾ oz/247 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons instant yeast
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) butter, softened
For the Rum Syrup
  • 1¾ cups (14 fl oz/420 ml) water
  • ¾ cup (6 oz/170 g) granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup (7½ oz/213 g) honey
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 3 whole cloves
  • ¾ cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) plus ¾ cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) rum, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
Soak the Raisins

  1. In a heatproof bowl, combine the boiling water and raisins, cover and let soak for a minimum of 30 minutes. Drain and set aside, reserving a ¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) of the soaking liquid.

  2. Whisk the reserved soaking liquid with the 4 eggs and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or by hand with a large bowl and wooden spoon), combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
  4. Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly, then stir in the egg mixture followed by the drained raisins. Knead until you have a soft, smooth but very sticky dough that just comes together, about 5 minutes.
  5. Place in a large, oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
Make the Rum Syrup
  1. In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, honey, orange zest and cloves and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

  2. Lower the heat to allow the syrup to very gently simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat, stir in ¾ cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) of rum and the vanilla extract. Cover the pot and let the syrup cool.

  3. Shape and bake the babas: once the dough has risen, butter a 12-cup muffin tin.

  4. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (2 oz/57 g) and on a lightly floured work surface, roll each into a ball and place in a muffin cup. Cover gently with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

  5. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

  6. Bake the babas for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. If not serving right away, let cool and then store in an airtight container.
Soak the Babas
  1. Two hours before serving, place the babas upside down in a baking dish and pour the syrup over them. Turn the babas in the syrup a few times to allow them to fully soak up the syrup.
  2. To serve, place a baba on a serving dish, drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of rum and a dollop of lightly whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
  • This dough should be very sticky. It can be challenging to knead by hand, and if you are, try to use as little flour as possible to keep the babas nice and light.
  • When dividing the dough, I like to weigh each piece to ensure the babas bake evenly. Each piece of dough should be about 2 oz/57 g.
  • The babas will need to soak in the rum syrup for two hours before serving, so be sure to plan for this time.
  • You can prepare the babas and syrup two days in advance. Hold everything separately in airtight containers at room temperature. Don’t soak the babas in the syrup until two hours before you plan to serve them.
  • This is a very boozy dessert, and there isn’t a way around it. It is best served to adults who are comfortable consuming alcohol.