| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dried currants
- 1 tablespoon good dark rum
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 package dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Rum Syrup, recipe follows
- 3/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon water
- Whipped Cream, recipe follows
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup good dark rum
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (1 pint) cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the currants and rum in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush a 5-cup (6 1/2 by 3 1/2-inch) tube pan or kugelhopf mold with the melted butter. Be sure to coat every crevice of the pan. Heat the milk to 115 degrees F and then pour it into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in the yeast and sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, first add the eggs, then the flour, salt, and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater to form the dough into a ball. It will be very soft. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Drain the currants, fold them into the dough with a spatula, and spoon into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, cover the pan with a damp towel, and allow to rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and make the Rum Syrup.
- Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then tap it out of the cake pan onto a baking rack set over a sheet pan. Pour all of the Rum Syrup very slowly onto the warm cake, allowing it all to soak in thoroughly. Amazingly, the liquid will be absorbed into the cake, so be sure to use all of the syrup.
- Heat the preserves with 1 tablespoon of water until runny, press it through a sieve, and brush it on the cake. Serve with Whipped Cream piped into the middle of the cake plus an extra bowl on the side.
- Place the sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a 4-cup heat-proof measuring cup and allow to cool. Add the rum and vanilla and set aside.
- Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don’t overbeat, or you’ll end up with butter!
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 667 |
| Total Fat | 31 g |
| Saturated Fat | 19 g |
| Carbohydrates | 80 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 51 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 140 mg |
| Sodium | 179 mg |
Reviews
Tasted good raw, but think I have an epic fail. It’s not rising and didn’t ball.
May I ask what size spoons and grams in your yeast packet
Our Tb are 20ml spoons makes a big difference in recipes unfortunately
May I ask what size spoons and grams in your yeast packet
Our Tb are 20ml spoons makes a big difference in recipes unfortunately
Pretty good. I used spiced rum and swapped raisins for currants..
Made this in a 6 cup non-stick loaf pan for my friend’s 86 year old father, a native of France, who requested it. We skipped the whipped cream as that was not served with the babas of his youth. The baba turned out great! I strongly disagree with any reviews saying it’s too boozy. It was light, not too sweet and perfectly boozy. With the separate rises, it took more time than indicated, about three hours or so altogether, start to finish. My French friend said to soak the bottom of the loaf, top side down, and present it that way It soaked up every bit of the syrup. A delectable adult treat.
I have made this twice, now. What a special treat. It does take time, so be patient, the finished product is definitely worth it.
EXCELLENT.
I was very hesitant about making it, afraid it wouldn’t come out right, but the step by step instructions gave me confidence. And the baba came out fine. I wanted it to celebrate my birthday, just like my mother used to make for me when I was a child.
THANK YOU!
This recipe is so amazing, just like the ones in France! thank you
Can this be made and freeze?
At first, when I made this cake it was a huge bummer because the syrup was so strong and the cake tasted bitter. It was honestly inedible. It greatly improved after being in the fridge for 1-2 days. I recommend making this cake in advamce.
I have made this a number of times, as desserts for visitors from Russia, Hungarian guests at Thanksgiving, dinner party guests and for our family. It always draws rave reviews. One houseguest always asks that I make it when she comes to visit.
I wanted to love this cake but I was a bit disappointed. Dont get me wrong, I do love boozy cakes! as long as you can taste the cake of course. This cake is delicious itself. Once you add the rum syrup and the apricot glaze forget it. In my book I would not add the glaze at all, and the syrup would be with just a little bit of rum. Those two things overpower the cake so I only tasted like eating a spoon of apricot jam with a glass of rum. Balance is everything i think. I loved the texture of the cake but keep in mind to pour the syrup on the cake on a baking rack. I didnt do it and the bottom of the cake almost dissolved. Do not use cake flour either, otherwise the cake will dissolve entirely. I might give it another try with some modifications to the syrup and glaze. Easy to make, time consuming.
I’d been looking for a recipe like this as I wanted to recreate a dessert I had at a restaurant in my city. I followed the instructions but skipped the currants and the preserves as the dessert I had at the restaurant had no fruit. It was AMAZING! I do think it could have been too sweet with the fruit had I added them so I’m glad I didn’t. Turned out so good, almost exactly like I remember it at a highly rated restaurant. I didn’t have a Bundt pan but used a regular loaf pan without any other changes and the proportions were fine.