Baba au Rhum

Recipe by: Aleksandra Crapanzano
Adaptation and headnote by: Leslie Brenner

“A forkful of rum-soaked baba and Chantilly is one of life’s great pleasures.” So writes Aleksandra Crapanzano in the headnote to her Baba au Rhum recipe in Gâteau: the Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes, her 2022 cookbook. I couldn’t agree more! This excellent recipe is adapted from that book.

You might wonder whether a cake fashioned from a yeasted dough, drenched in a rum syrup and glazed is indeed simple. To this I’d say actually, it is. Sure, you need to beat the batter for some time, then let it rise (in two steps) for about two and a half hours before baking, but it’s very straightforward, and Crapanzano’s dough behaves nicely. Oh, and in case you’re baffled by “Chantilly,” that’s just French for whipped cream.

Traditionally, the baba is made in a Savarin mold, which is like a tube pan without any fancy fluting. I’ve never been able to get…