By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus 2 hours’ rising
- Rating
- 4(351)
- Notes
- Read community notes
While you can flambé pretty much any confection that’s soaked in a high-proof spirit, a baba au rhum is one of the booziest options. It’s based on an airy but rich yeast dough, which can absorb more liquor than your average cake without falling apart. And, unlike crepes, it’s easy to serve to a crowd. This is an afternoon project with delicious, sophisticated results.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 2tablespoons sugar
- 1(¼-ounce) package active dry yeast
- 4large eggs, at room temperature
- 250grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 4grams fine sea salt (½ teaspoon)
- 10tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into cubes, more for greasing pan
- 55grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped (⅓ cup)
- 150grams dark brown sugar (¾ cup)
- 1½inches fresh ginger, cut into coins
- 3strips orange peel
- 2whole cloves
- 1cinnamon stick
- ¾cup dark rum
- ½cup heavy cream
- ¾cup crème fraîche
- 7 to 15grams confectioner’s sugar (1 to 2 tablespoons), to taste
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
530 calories; 29 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 23 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 205 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
Pour ½ cup warm water into the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in sugar and sprinkle in yeast. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
Step
2
With mixer on low, beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in flour and salt. Add butter, a few cubes at a time, and beat until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Step
3
Grease a 10- or 12-cup bundt pan with softened butter. Spoon half the batter into bottom of pan. Sprinkle chocolate over top of batter, making sure the chocolate doesn’t touch the sides of the pan. Spoon remaining batter over chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Step
4
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and transfer pan to oven. Bake until deep golden and firm to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes. Let baba cool in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack while it is still warm and let cool completely.
Step
5
In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, 1½ cups water, ginger, orange peel, cloves and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Strain into a bowl; discard solids. Stir ½ cup rum into liquid.
Step
6
Place wire rack with cake over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour rum syrup slowly over surface of cake, allowing excess to drip into baking sheet below. Pour extra syrup from pan into a bowl and then pour it back on top of cake. Repeat several times until most of the syrup has soaked into the cake. (Reserve extra syrup for serving; you should have a least ⅓ cup left over.
Step
7
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Beat in crème fraîche. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, to taste, and vanilla.
Step
8
Place cake on large platter. Place remaining ¼ cup rum in a small skillet over high heat. Tilt skillet slightly so that rum catches fire. (If you don't have a gas range, use a long-handled match or lighter to set rum on fire.) Pour flaming rum over cake and let it burn off. Spoon whipped cream into the hollow center of the cake, then slice; or slice and then dollop with whipped cream. Serve cake with reserved rum syrup.
Tip
- Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.
Ratings
4
out of 5
351
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Cooking Notes
smaurya
The chocolate didn't appeal to me in this recipe. Instead, I went with raisins, which Melissa Clark said is more traditional. I used 1/3 C raisins soaked in about 2 Tb of dark rum. I folded them in th batter after the first rise. The cake turned out delicious and I can't imagine it being better with chocolate.
Tim O.
THE way to get syrup infused is to put the cooled brioche back in pan, pour on the liquid, and let macerate before unmolding again.
leah
Substituting cake flour will be a very bad idea. This is a yeast bread and needs gluten to keep its shape.
Stephen
This was a huge hit at a dinner party I just threw. I followed the instructions but added some candied orange rinds left over from Christmas and a splash of Cointreau to the rum. It was fabulous. I also added a bit more chocolate than the recipe called for and sadly, it all melted together causing large chunks of chocolate, not that anyone complained. Perhaps next time just a bit less chocolate.
Jenny
This is by far one of my favorite cakes from the NYT. The cake is light and airy, and it's even yummier leftover for a day or two, as the cake will absorb all the excess rum and develop an even stronger flavor.
J Andrew McTyre
I added a teaspoon of vanilla to cut the rum taste slightly - I thought it worked well, adding another layer of flavor.
Maya S.
This turned out beautifully . Next time I would cut the rum quantity in half however and substitute some additional non-alcoholic syrup since the alcohol flavor of the syrup was a touch strong for my taste. My family loved the cake and the syrup and cream were a big hit as well!
KatieB
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/savarin_with_chantilly_30509I like the soaking method in the above recipe for Savarin (Paul Hollywood). “ When cool enough to handle, remove the savarin from the tin and pour half of the syrup into the tin. Gently place the savarin back into the tin to soak up the syrup and cool completely. Pour the remaining syrup into a roasting tin, then place the savarin into the syrup and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a serving plate.“
Kevin
Since it's just an enriched yeast bread, and enriched yeast breads freeze well, I'd think this an excellent candidate for the freezing treatment. Biggest problem may be that it's going to take quite a while to defrost, and you'll probably want to defrost it unwrapped because while it'll dry out a bit, you're soaking it in syrup and so drier is better than having moisture condense on the outside.
NotPennyAnne
Strangely, we rather hated this. I'm not sure why. I think we had too much booze in it. And the flames were - shall we say unsettling? I brought out iced cream and we all ignored the Baba.
Cdud
Wonder if substituting Genepy for the rum would get you close to Le Rock’s version?
seacook
The cake was delicious and devoured quickly. I wish I had used a very simple bundt pan instead of my heavily fluted pan. I did butter it generously but the cake stuck hard. I also wish I had used chopped dried apricots marinated in rum rather than chocolate which migrated to the bottom and sides where it stuck hard to the pan. I’ll make both those changes when I make it again, which I will.
Deborah
It surprised me that the batter was so thin and runny! Maybe I did something wrong, but it did not at all resemble the video. I was actually very disappointed. We used to get baba au rhum in jars in NYC back in the day that were much better, and a lot less work. Not even the flambe was exciting.
Debra
Can I substitute Constant Comment tea for the liquid in the syrup and skip the straining part?
Jerry P
If I want to make the cake two or three days in advance, what's the best way of keeping it fresh? Should I soak it in the rum mixture right away, or on the day I'll be serving it? Thanks!
Deborah
I sure wish someone had answered this question!
Kari
It was fun, but not worth the rising times for me...
Vicky
Perfect as is, no changes. Mine absorbed all the liquid sauce, I had nothing left for serving but it was not necessary as the cake was super good and super moist.
Nidhi
Will the cake be too dry if I bake it a day before actually serving? And should I do the soaking step the next day...as I plan to take it for a Sunday brunch.
Sarah S
We used finely chopped dried apricots in lieu of chocolate or raisins and it was delicious. I thought the recipe was unclear as to when to soak the cake, we started pouring the syrup over about an hour before serving. It was a delicious birthday dessert and not too boozy (I hate boozy desserts and I liked it)! The flame aspect was a little underwhelming, a long lighter might have packed more punch...
ebseattle
So easy to over cook!! Definitely pull the cake as soon as it looks gold. Next time I might double the chocolate. Easy, quite a sow and tasty.
marina
How many grams are 10 table spoons of butter?
susie
The cake looked beautiful when I turned it out of the pan, and I was very excited about the sauce because it called for orange peel, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. However, I was disappointed in the end result. The rum completely overpowered it. If I make it again I will add the rum to sauce before it cools so the alcohol can cook out. I poked holes in the slightly warm cake so the sauce could absorb more easily.
janina
One of my favorite desserts but with candied orange rind or yellow raisins. Chocolate? I don’t think that works.
David
I am glad to see the switch to metric and think it is a good thing (to have them now listed before cup measurements. However, the cream and creme fraiche should also be in metric to be consistent, as well as the 2 tablespoons of sugar.
patricia
Could I use bourbon or Amaretto?
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