Desserts · Campania
Neapolitan Rum Baba Recipe
This Neapolitan yeast cake soaks up lemon-scented rum syrup; clear proofing cues and standard-size molds make its airy crumb manageable at home.
By Lucia Moretti (pen name) · · Editorial policy
Neapolitan rum babà is a light, egg-rich yeast cake baked in small molds and soaked in lemon-scented rum syrup. In Naples, Campania, the tall cakes are known for an open crumb that absorbs the bagna (soaking syrup) without turning dense. This home-kitchen adaptation uses a stand mixer and a standard muffin tin if you do not have individual babà molds. For another Campanian dish, see Neapolitan Pasta e Patate Recipe, or try Torta Tenerina Recipe for a chocolate dessert.
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The recipe
Neapolitan Rum Baba
Ingredients
for 8 servingsEquipment
- stand mixer with paddle and dough hook
- eight 2.5-inch (6 cm) babà molds or standard muffin tin
- small saucepan
- wide bowl for soaking
- wire rack
- instant-read thermometer
Method
Whisk the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the beaten eggs and mix with the paddle on low until no dry flour remains, about 10 minutes. The dough will be very sticky.
Knead with the dough hook, adding the softened butter a little at a time. Continue for about 12 minutes, until the dough looks smooth, elastic, and glossy and pulls from the sides of the bowl between strokes.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until doubled. Keep it away from a cold draft; the enriched dough rises more slowly than lean bread dough.
Grease eight 2.5-inch (6 cm) babà molds or standard muffin cups with the remaining butter. Divide the dough evenly among them, filling each about halfway. Cover loosely and let rise for 45 minutes, until the dough reaches the rims or sits just above them.
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the babà for 20 minutes, until deeply golden and a thermometer inserted into the center of one reads at least 190°F (88°C).
Transfer the babà to a wire rack and let them cool for 30 minutes. They should feel set rather than fragile before soaking.
Combine the water, sugar, and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the peel, and stir in the rum. The syrup takes about 8 minutes in all.
Pour the warm syrup into a wide bowl. Add the cooled babà and turn them gently for 15 minutes, spooning syrup over any exposed tops. They should feel heavy with syrup but still hold their shape. Serve at room temperature.
Food safety
The rum is added off the heat, so the syrup retains alcohol. Use the orange-juice substitution for an alcohol-free dessert.
Where it goes wrong
| If you see | It’s because | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| The dough barely rises in the molds. | Why The dough was too cool, or the first rise did not reach double in size. | Fix Let it rise in a comfortably warm, draft-free place and use the visible rise as your guide before baking. |
| The babà turn mushy or break apart in the syrup. | Why They were soaked too long or turned roughly. | Fix Use fully cooled cakes, turn them gently, and stop once they are saturated but still hold their shape. |
Questions
Can you make Neapolitan babà without rum?
Yes; replace the rum with an equal amount of orange juice for an alcohol-free syrup. The flavor will be different, but the cakes will still absorb the syrup.
How should you store rum babà?
Keep soaked babà covered in the refrigerator and use within 3 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving if you prefer a softer texture.
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