Baba au Rhum

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Dissolve the yeast in the milk in a large bowl. Stir in a half cup of the flour. Cover and set aside in a a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Beat seven tablespoons of the butter in an electric mixer or in a blender. Beat in two tablespoons of the sugar and two tablespoons of the flour. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

3. Step 3

   Beat the remaining flour into the risen yeast mixture, then beat in the butter and egg mixture to make a thick dough-like batter. Butter a large baba or savarin mold or a bundt pan with the remaining butter and spoon the batter into the mold. It should fill it halfway. Cover with a clean cloth and set aside to rise until the dough reaches the top of the mold.

4. Step 4

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Step 5

   Bake baba for about 40 minutes, until nicely browned on top.

6. Step 6

   While the baba is baking, combine the remaining sugar with the water in a saucepan and boil until syrupy and reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the rum.

7. Step 7

   When the baba is baked, remove it from the oven and carefully spoon the rum syrup over it, allowing it to saturate the cake completely.

8. Step 8

   Cool completely. Unmold and decorate with candied fruits before serving.