Classic French Rum Baba Cake Recipe (Baba au Rhum)

This is a classic French rum baba cake recipe (Baba au Rhum) that is easy to make and absolutely delicious! French rum baba cake also known as Baba au Rhum in France is a rich, indulgent cake with an amazing aroma and delicate and fluffy texture

French Rum Baba or Baba au rhum is a delicious yeast-risen cake that is popular in France, it’s typically served during the holidays and New Year’s Eve, and the cake is soaked in a sweet apricot rum glaze and served with whip cream. The flavor is unique and complex with sweet buttery vanilla citrus notes combined with the bold flavor of rum that makes this dessert so unique.

There are many variations of traditional French Baba dessert cake which include a variety of inclusions such as raisins or other dried fruit. This delicacy is often served with fresh whipped cream and dried fruit.

This French Baba rum recipe is from scratch, the apricot glaze is also from scratch using fresh apricots. The recipe will yield 12 pieces of babas if you are using a standard baba rum mold. If you don’t have these molds you can easily purchase them online they are tall and cylindrical in shape. 

Let’s make this classic French rum baba cake recipe (Baba au Rhum)!

Ingredients for French Rum Baba (Baba au Rhum)

• 300 grams of all-purpose flour
• 4 grams salt
• 45 grams granulated sugar
• 100 grams eggs
• 9 grams dry instant yeast
• 200 grams milk, luke warm
• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams raisins (optional)

Ingredients For French Rum Baba Syrup

• 1000 grams water
• 450 grams granulated sugar
• 2 grams orange zest
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 200 grams apricot, pitted and cut into small pieces
• 120 grams dark rum

How To Make French Rum Baba?

1. Dissolve the yeast in some lukewarm milk and allow it to stand for 5 minutes.
2. Add the flour, bloomed yeast, salt, sugar, eggs, and lukewarm milk into a mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment and mix on slow speed for 5 minutes, then increase the speed and continue to mix the dough it is developed, about 6 minutes.
3. This dough is very soft and sticky, it might take a few more minutes to mix. If your mixing machine is having a hard time mixing this type of dough a simple trick is to switch the hook with the paddle attachment.
4. Add the butter to the dough and mix on slow for additional 3-4 minutes or until well incorporated. If you want to add inclusions like the raisins, add them at this stage and mix again on slow for a few minutes until well blended into the dough.
5. Transfer the baba rum dough into a greased bowl double its size, cover with plastic or a cloth and allow to bulk ferment for 2 hours.
6. Turn the baba dough over onto a floured work surface and divide the into 12 portions and slightly round.
7. Place the individual pieces into greased baba rum molds, then place the mold onto a flat baking tray.
8. Cover and allow to proof for 35-40 minutes or until it reaches the top of the rim of the mold. Note, depending on how cold or warm your proofing area is, the babas might rise slower or quicker.
9. Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F) 20 minutes prior to the dough being fully proofed.
10. Bake the baba rum for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the surface.
11. Once baked, remove them from the oven and turn them over to remove them from the baking mold, and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.
12. Prepare the glaze: Add all the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, apricots, and orange zest into a medium size pot and bring the mixture to a boil on medium-high heat stirring as needed abiut 10 minutes, the apricots should be broken down. Remove from the heat and add the rum and stir to combine.
13. Soak each of the babas in the syrup and place them onto a serving plate or muffin liner. Brush the sides with some more apricot glaze and serve as is or with whipped cream.
14. Enjoy your French Rum Baba!

Classic French Rum Baba (Baba au Rhum)

This is a classic French rum baba cake recipe (Baba au Rhum) that is easy to make and absolutely delicious! French rum baba cake also known as Baba au Rhum in France is a rich, indulgent cake with an amazing aroma and delicate and fluffy texture

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting plus Proofing 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Holiday

Cuisine French

Servings 12 pieces

Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients

  

FRENCH RUM BABA DOUGH

• 300 grams of all-purpose flour
• 4 grams salt
• 45 grams granulated sugar
• 100 grams eggs
• 9 grams dry instant yeast
• 200 grams milk luke warm
• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams raisins optional

APRICOT SYRUP

• 1000 grams water
• 450 grams granulated sugar
• 2 grams orange zest
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 200 grams apricot pitted and cut into small pieces
• 120 grams dark rum

Instructions

 

• Dissolve the yeast in some lukewarm milk and allow it to stand for 5 minutes.
• Add the flour, bloomed yeast, salt, sugar, eggs, and lukewarm milk into a mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment and mix on slow speed for 5 minutes, then increase the speed and continue to mix the dough it is developed, about 6 minutes.
• This dough is very soft and sticky, it might take a few more minutes to mix. If your mixing machine is having a hard time mixing this type of dough a simple trick is to switch the hook with the paddle attachment.
• Add the butter to the dough and mix on slow for additional 3-4 minutes or until well incorporated. If you want to add inclusions like the raisins, add them at this stage and mix again on slow for a few minutes until well blended into the dough.
• Transfer the baba rum dough into a greased bowl double its size, cover with plastic or a cloth and allow to bulk ferment for 2 hours.
• Turn the baba dough over onto a floured work surface and divide the into 12 portions and slightly round.
• Place the individual pieces into greased baba rum molds, then place the mold onto a flat baking tray.
• Cover and allow to proof for 35-40 minutes or until it reaches the top of the rim of the mold. Note, depending on how cold or warm your proofing area is, the babas might rise slower or quicker.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F) 20 minutes prior to the dough being fully proofed.
• Bake the baba rum for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the surface.
• Once baked, remove them from the oven and turn them over to remove them from the baking mold, and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.
• Prepare the glaze: Add all the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, apricots, and orange zest into a medium size pot and bring the mixture to a boil on medium-high heat stirring as needed about 10 minutes, the apricots should be broken down. Remove from the heat and add the rum and stir to combine.
• Soak each of the babas in the syrup and place them onto a serving plate or muffin liner. Brush the sides with some more apricot glaze and serve as is or with whipped cream.
• Enjoy your French Rum Baba!

Keyword Authentic French Rum Baba, Baba au Rhum, Baba Rum, Classic French Rum Baba, French Baba Rum, Rum Baba, Rum Baba With Apricot Glaze, Rum Baba With Apricot Syrup, Traditional French Rum Baba Recipe