The babka’s drunken cousin. While the orignal baba was babka-shaped and sized, it eventually took on its more typical single-serving appearance in the 19th century. This recipe has directions for both options.
A yeast-free, more traditional cake-like baba au rhum cake recipe was in the same binder.
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A family recipe provided by Jennifer Kiel of Washington, DC, from her mother-in-law’s collection, started in Kent, Ohio. |
Baba au Rhum
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 cups all purpose flour
6 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup cut up citron or currants
Rum sauce
Apricot glaze (optional)
Make at least six hours before serving.
Grease a 4″ deep tube pan or four qt. mold. Sprinkle yeast into warm water in measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, measure flour into a large bowl.
Stir up yeast, combine with beaten eggs, pour onto flour, mix together, then beat thoroughly about one minute. Let stand covered about 30 minutes.
Now gradually add butter, about one fourth at a time, working in with a spoon or fork. Dough will ooze butter, but don’t worry. Stir in sugar, salt and citron or currants. Knead dough smooth in bowl with blending fork or wooden spoon.
Turn dough into tube pan or mold and spread until even. Let rise in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees) until tripled in bulk and almost to top of pan.
Start heating oven to 375 degrees. Bake baba 40 to 45 minutes or until a rich golden brown. Remove to rack, cool. Set on platter; spoon on rum sauce, let stand 2 hours, occasionally spooning on sauce from platter.
Just before serving, spread with apricot glaze. Serve. Cut in one inch slices. Makes about 28 servings.
Rum sauce: In a small saucepan, simmer 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar, 2 cups water, 4 thin orange slices and 4 thin lemon slices for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Add 1/2 to 1 cup white rum as desired. (1/2 cup is plenty.)
Apricot glaze: Press 1/3 cup apricot jam through strainer and combine with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
You may make a small baba using one half of the above ingredients and bake in a 3-1/2″ deep 9 inch tube pan or 18 2-1/2″ cups of muffin pans. Bake the 9″ baba 375 for about 35 minutes. Individual babas 375 for 15 to 18 minutes. When cool, use one half the recipe for rum sauce.