Food Network: Baba au Rhum

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Baba au Rhum
Copyright 2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved

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

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.

Rum Syrup:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup good dark rum
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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.

Whipped Cream:
2 cups (1 pint) cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

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!

Yield: 4 cups