Babà Cake Food

CLASSIC FRENCH RUM BABA (BABA AU RHUM) RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Stir the yeast and the warm water together in a large bowl and allow the yeast to dissolve for 5 minutes. Lightly beat the eggs into the yeast and water.
• In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, citrus zests, and salt together. Stir the mixture into the yeast and eggs.
• Work the mixture in the bowl with a spatula until it holds together. On a very lightly floured surface, knead the dough with the softened butter until it becomes soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough will be very sticky.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover the dough, and allow it to rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, soak the raisins or currants in 3 tablespoons of rum.
• Once the dough has doubled, fold the rum-soaked fruit into it.
• Grease the baba molds and divide the dough evenly among them. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F. Cover the molds and allow the dough to rise until the dough has just started to rise above the molds' edges, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Uncover the babas and bake them until they turn golden brown and begin to pull away from the sides of the molds, 20 to 25 minutes
• Immediately remove the babas from the molds and allow them to cool on a wire rack while you make the rum syrup.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the water and sugar to a boil until the syrup has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the syrup from the heat and stir the rum and vanilla extract into the mixture.
• Place the babas into the hot rum syrup in batches, turning them several times, allowing them to soak up the syrup. They will swell and absorb most of the syrup. Continue to soak the babas until all the syrup is used.
• Carefully transfer each baba onto a dessert plate and brush with a generous amount of warmed apricot preserves.
• Garnish the babas au rhum with vanilla Chantilly cream to serve.

BABA AU RHUM

Steps:

• 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!

BABà CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, crumbled yeast and 1 heaping Tbsp. sugar. Mix well. Lightly beat the eggs and chop the butter into 1/4" cubes. Add the milk, the lightly beaten eggs, the salt and the softened butter to the dry ingredients and combine to form a soft, almost creamy dough. Mix for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is perfectly smooth. Place in a pastry bag and pipe it into a buttered 9" bundt cake pan (we use one made of silicon, which doesn't need to be buttered). Cover the pan with a damp cloth and plastic wrap and let it rise at 82°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes: the dough should double in volume.
• Preheat the oven to 320°F and bake the cake for 40-45 minutes. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a rack and bake it on the rack for another 5 minutes, then let it cool.
• For the syrup: Bring 2 1/2 cups water, the grape juice, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 3 star anise seeds, 3 cardamom pods and a cinnamon stick to a boil in a saucepan. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Add the rum (to taste) when the liquid begins to cool.
• To assemble the cake: put a cooling rack over a tray and place the cake on it. Slowly pour the rum syrup over it, dampening it throughly. Take the rum syrup that collected in the tray and pour it over the cake again. Let it drain.
• Heat 3-4 ladles rum syrup in a saucepan until it becomes dense like liquid honey. Brush it on the surface of the cake.
• Whip the cream with 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar until stiff. Decorate the cake with it as you like and serve.

BABY FOOD CAKE III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and oil. Beat until smooth. Mix in baby food and nuts. Beat in flour mixture alternately with applesauce. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

BABY FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients together well.
• Bake in lightly greased jelly roll pan at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Frost with cream cheese frosting or dust with powdered sugar.