Introduction
The rum baba is a delicate yeast based cake soaked in a rum syrup. I’ve also heard them called Sabrina cakes or sometimes called a Savarin cake depending on the shape. Savarin is shaped like a bundt cake while a baba is shaped like individual little buckets though I’ve seen them as small rings as well. For mine, I like to make them into individual little bunts as they’re beautiful especially when served with fresh whipped cream and some fruit.
Experimental Findings
How am I supposed to knead this very sticky, very hard to handle dough?
You’re supposed to either do it in a standing mixer or get very sticky my your hands. Yes, seriously.
What’s the verdict?
The best description I got of my first test was that it tasted like a wet ginger cake. This is not what a rum cake should ever taste like. So skip the spices, keep it simple.
Any other tips?
Yes! Firstly, it would be easier if you make double the syrup in test 2. You need to really really soak these babies. Second, don’t wait too long to soak them and don’t have them sitting around the fridge too long before serving. They’re best when freshly soaked.
Tests
Rum Baba: Test 1 – Wet ginger cake
Rum Baba: Test 2 – Delicious rum cake
Exploratory Kitchen 