Airy, buttery yeasted cakes soaked in warm rum syrup, glazed with apricot, and finished with vanilla Chantilly.
Ingredients
250 g bread flour
25 g granulated sugar
5 g fine sea salt
7 g instant yeast
60 ml whole milk
150 g eggs (without shell)
90 g unsalted butter, softened
2 g finely grated orange zest
Syrup:
500 ml water
250 g granulated sugar
10 g wide orange peel strips
5 g wide lemon peel strips
5 ml vanilla extract
120 ml dark rum
Glaze:
150 g apricot jam
30 ml water
Chantilly (optional):
300 ml heavy cream (35% fat)
30 g powdered sugar
5 ml vanilla extract
Steps
Heat milk to 26–28°C.
Whisk eggs with the warm milk until smooth.
Whisk flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and orange zest in a mixer bowl.
Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients.
Mix on low speed with a dough hook for 2 minutes.
Increase to medium speed and mix for 6 minutes until elastic.
Start the mixer on medium speed.
Add the softened butter in small pieces to the running mixer.
Mix on medium-high speed for 5–7 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls from the bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Proof the dough at 26–28°C until doubled, 60–90 minutes.
Butter 12 small dariole or baba molds (6–7 cm diameter).
Deflate the dough by pressing it down gently.
Transfer the dough to a large piping bag without a tip.
Pipe the dough into the molds to half their height (about 45 g per mold).
Cover the molds loosely with plastic wrap.
Proof the dough until it crowns just above the rims, 25–40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (no fan).
Place the molds on a baking tray.
Bake the babas until deep golden brown, 15–18 minutes.
Unmold the babas onto a wire rack.
Combine water, sugar, orange peel, lemon peel, and vanilla in a saucepan.
Bring the syrup to a full boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce to low heat and simmer the syrup for 2 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Stir in the rum.
Strain the syrup into a heatproof bowl.
Keep the syrup warm at 50–60°C.
Pierce each warm baba several times with a skewer.
Submerge the babas in the warm syrup until saturated, 5–10 minutes.
Lift the babas from the syrup and drain them on a rack set over a tray.
Heat the apricot jam and water in a small pan until fluid, 1–2 minutes.
Strain the apricot glaze through a fine sieve.
Brush the warm glaze over the tops of the babas.
Chill a metal bowl and whisk for 10 minutes.
Whip the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to soft–medium peaks.
Pipe the Chantilly onto the babas just before serving.
Notes (optional)
Texture and mixing: This is a high-hydration, enriched dough; thorough gluten development before adding butter is key to achieve the hallmark airy crumb.
Soaking: Warm babas and warm syrup promote optimal absorption; the babas should feel heavy but not disintegrate.
Rum level: Reduce rum to 80 ml for a milder flavor, or increase to 150 ml for a stronger finish.
Molds: Dariole, baba, or savarin molds all work; for one large savarin, bake in a 22–24 cm ring for 20–25 minutes and soak whole.
Make-ahead: Freeze baked, unsoaked babas well wrapped for up to 1 month; thaw, warm slightly, and soak before glazing.
Variations: Add 60 g golden raisins (soaked and drained) to the dough after mixing for a nod to older baba styles; swap orange zest for lemon for a brighter profile.
Cross-reference: For a close relative, see Savarin (a richer, often ring-shaped version typically served with fruit and Chantilly).
Cooksmith