Rum-Raisin Bread

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125g of flour
medium free-range eggs
honey
5g of dried yeast
butter
1 pinch of salt

250g of caster sugar
1000ml of water
rum
orange, rind of
lemon, rind of
1 vanilla pod, split in half

punnets of raspberries, fresh, each weighing 250g
200ml of double cream
20g of caster sugar

Pastry brush
6 savarin moulds

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, yeast, salt and honey. Once combined gradually add in the flour to create a smooth batter

125g of flour
1 pinch of salt
medium free-range eggs
honey
5g of dried yeast

Make sure that the melted butter is at room temperature, then slowly pour it into the batter mix. Beat the mixture until completely smooth and free of any lumps

Divide the batter across the savarin moulds until they are half full. Leave the batter to proof at room temperature (22-24°C) so that it doubles in size and reaches the top of the moulds

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Bake the cakes in the oven for 10-12 minutes so that they are firm to the touch and golden brown. Once baked, remove from the moulds and leave to cool

For the syrup, place the caster sugar, water, vanilla pod, orange rind, lemon rind and 200ml of rum in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer

250g of caster sugar
1000ml of water
1 vanilla pod
rum

Individually soak each rum baba in the simmering syrup for no more than 15-20 seconds then place them on a wire baking rack to cool

Once the rum babas have been soaked, pour 60ml of rum into a small dish and using a pastry brush, dab each baba evenly with the rum until completely coated

To serve, whip the double cream, slowly adding in the caster sugar to form stiff peaks and spoon into the centre of each rum baba. Arrange 6-8 fresh raspberries on the cream and serve immediately

200ml of double cream
20g of caster sugar
punnets of raspberries

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Rum cake from scratch – there’s no pudding or cake mix involved and it’s even more delicious than the cake mix version! Can be made with all-purpose flour or with whole wheat pastry flour for a 100% whole grain version.

The special thing about this rum cake, other than being the most awesome rum cake ever, is that you don’t need a bunch of processed junk to make it. Most rum cakes call for cake mix and pudding mix, neither of which I really want to use.

I remember when I moved to Germany, where we don’t have the same cake and pudding mixes, 6 years ago and spent hours looking for a rum cake recipe from scratch. No luck.

But Alejandra from Always Order Dessert has solved that problem with her rum cake from scratch! Now the whole world can enjoy rum cake. 🙂

The original recipe calls for 1 cup of homemade pudding mix. The recipe for the pudding mix yields 2 1/2 cups and since I didn’t want any pudding mix left over, I scaled down the pudding recipe to what was needed just for the rum cake and it worked perfectly!

I also wanted to try subbing coconut oil for the vegetable oil in the original but I chickened out and used olive oil. Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature (at least in cold winter kitchens), I was worried that it’d make the cake too firm.

If you taste the batter and can taste the olive oil, don’t panic! The olive taste bakes away, or perhaps it’s just all the rum in the syrup that totally covers it up.

The first time I made this rum cake, I made it for a birthday party that I wasn’t even going to, and it smelled so unbelievably amazing that I had to cut into it. And then I cut into it some more.

And then we just cut the cake into slices, made some whoopsie-I-ate-most-of-the-cake-brownies and Mr. Texanerin brought a few cake pieces to the party.

This cake is so ridiculously boozy. Some folks don’t like a strong alcohol taste in their goodies. Not me. I want my cake to be swimming in booze.

If you love boozy desserts, you also have to try my Irish cream brownies. There’s 3/4 cup of Baileys in there!

And this thing is SO moist. I suppose that’s not too surprising considering the amount of butter that goes into it. In addition to what’s in the cake, you also make a butter rum syrup, poke holes in the cake, and then you pour the syrup all over it.

If a whole bundt cake is too much for you, check out my Irish cream bundt cake. It’s basically this recipe, halved to fit a 6-cup bundt pan, and with Irish cream. Just use rum instead and you’ll have yourself a cute little bundt cake. 🙂

Totally from Scratch Rum Cake (with a 100% whole grain option)

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Ready in: 1:05 h
Yield:

Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 325°F (162°C). Spray a 12-cup bundt pan very well with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, dry milk powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Set this aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Add the dry flour mix to this. It will resemble fine crumbs.
In the bowl that just had the flour mix, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs, rum, and vanilla extract. Add this to the crumb mixture and beat until well combined. The batter will be quite thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 48-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Notes

Adapted from Rum Cake from Scratch on Always Order Dessert

This post was originally posted in 2012. Here’s the original picture for kicks and giggles. 😀

This cake is a delicious clone of the dense rum cakes you’ll find in Italian-American markets during the holidays. Yes, there’s a lot of rum in it, and it’s definitely not for those avoiding alcohol. But the incredibly moist texture and rich flavor are deeply satisfying.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
To make the cake: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
Place the flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking powder, salt, butter, and vegetable oil in a mixing bowl, and mix at medium speed until everything is thoroughly combined and the mixture is sandy looking.
Beat in the milk, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl thoroughly, and beat briefly to recombine any sticky residue.
Stir in the rum and vanilla.
Spritz a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. For an extra layer of nutty flavor, sprinkle the inside of the pan with almond flour and turn the pan to coat evenly; shake out any excess. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread level with a spatula.
Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes. When done, a cake tester, long toothpick, or strand of uncooked spaghetti will come out clean when inserted into the center. Remove the cake from the oven.
Leave the cake in the pan to cool slightly while you make the syrup.
Serve with hot coffee or tea. The cake is very moist, fragrant and potent.
Wrap securely (or place under a cake cover) and store at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage, up to 1 month.

Tips from our Bakers

The pudding mix adds a bit of flavor and sweetness, plus enhances the cake’s moisture. Use a different flavor pudding mix if desired: banana, caramel, butterscotch, coconut, etc. Want to omit the pudding mix? You can; your cake will be a bit less sweet, and somewhat drier. Be aware we’ve tried substituting cornstarch, sugar, and extra vanilla for the pudding mix, and the result just isn’t the same.
Using the full amount of syrup in the recipe will make a traditional rum-soaked rum cake, one that’s incredibly moist. For a less “rummy” cake, one with a more standard cake texture, make and use just half the amount of syrup.
Avoiding alcohol? Use a non-alcoholic rum substitute in place of the rum.

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Recommended Recipes

If you’ve never sampled rum cake, now’s the time and here’s the recipe! While it’s often considered a holiday confection, rum cake is actually a good dessert choice all year ’round. Served with a cup of strong coffee, it’s equally satisfying in summer, with fresh berries or peaches, or in winter with a dollop of whipped cream.

55 mins to 1 hr 5 mins

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
To make the cake: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
Place the flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking powder, salt, butter, and vegetable oil in a mixing bowl, and mix at medium speed until everything is thoroughly combined and the mixture is sandy looking.
Beat in the milk, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl thoroughly, and beat briefly to recombine any sticky residue.
Stir in the rum and vanilla.
Spritz a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. For an extra layer of nutty flavor, sprinkle the inside of the pan with almond flour and turn the pan to coat evenly; shake out any excess. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread level with a spatula.
Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes. When done, a cake tester, long toothpick, or strand of uncooked spaghetti will come out clean when inserted into the center. Remove the cake from the oven.
Leave the cake in the pan to cool slightly while you make the syrup.
Serve with hot coffee or tea. The cake is very moist, fragrant and potent.
Wrap securely (or place under a cake cover) and store at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage, up to 1 month.

The pudding mix adds a bit of flavor and sweetness, plus enhances the cake’s moisture. Use a different flavor pudding mix if desired: banana, caramel, butterscotch, coconut, etc. Want to omit the pudding mix? You can; your cake will be a bit less sweet, and somewhat drier. Be aware we’ve tried substituting cornstarch, sugar, and extra vanilla for the pudding mix, and the result just isn’t the same.
Want to omit the pudding mix? You can; your cake will be a bit less sweet, and somewhat drier. Be aware we’ve tried substituting cornstarch, sugar, and extra vanilla for the pudding mix, and the result just isn’t the same.
Using the full amount of syrup in the recipe will make a traditional rum-soaked rum cake, one that’s incredibly moist. For a less “rummy” cake, one with a more standard cake texture, make and use just half the amount of syrup.

A tender, lovely bread, with great flavors. You could change the fruit to suit your tastes, but the rum-raisin combo is mighty good. An excellent bread to serve up for company, or to treat yourself.

Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Place the remaining ingredients into the bucket of your bread machine in the order listed, select the dough cycle, and press Start.
When the machine beeps for additions, add the raisins and any remaining rum. Check the consistency of the dough, adjusting it with a tablespoon more water or flour if necessary to make a smooth ball of dough. Let the machine complete its cycle.
To shape and bake: Gently deflate the risen dough, divide it into thirds, and fold each piece over on itself so the cut edge is inside the ball of dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough to a 12″ rope. Place two of the pieces on a piece of parchment crossing each other. Lay the third piece over the top. Braid the bread from the center to the ends on both sides. (Braiding this way keeps the dough more uniform instead of having one long, stretched-out end.) Pinch the ends together and tuck them underneath.
Cover with greased plastic and let the braid rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until almost doubled. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the top of the bread with egg wash, if desired. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a deep golden brown and the center reads 190°F when measured with a digital thermometer. Remove from the oven and cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze: Combine the confectioners’ sugar with enough rum to make a spreadable glaze. Drizzle or brush the glaze on top of the braid.

To mix by hand or mixer: Mix and combine all the ingredients except the rum/raisins until you have a soft dough. Knead for 2 minutes, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes. Knead in the soaked raisins and any liquid. Flour your hands as needed, and knead for 4 more minutes, or until the dough is springy. Cover and let rise for 60 minutes, then proceed as directed for shaping and baking.
If desired, replace the rum with 1 to 2 tablespoons (14g to 28g) milk mixed with 1/4 teaspoon rum extract or butter-rum flavor.

Rum baba (baba au rum), this classic yeast bundt cake soaked in delicious rum syrup, decorated with a light vanilla bean whipped mascarpone frosting is the ultimate brioche-like boozy dessert! My rum baba recipe is super fluffy and moist and the rum-based soaking syrup makes it even creamier without making it soggy. An easy and light vanilla bean mascarpone frosting is added on top making the baba rum cakes even more luxurious and creamy.

What is Rum baba

It is said that the original form of the baba was a tall yeast cake that was popular in Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, while the modern rum baba, which is soaked in rum, was invented in Paris in the 19th century. If you love French desserts, make sure to check out my ultimate best French pastries list with recipes!

Rum baba or baba au rhum is a small yeast-based dessert that is often referred to as a Rum baba bundt cake or Rum baba cake, however, it is more like brioche in terms of the ingredients and baking method. It is usually soaked in a rum-flavored sugar syrup that makes the babas wonderfully moist and flavorful. It is most typically made in individual servings either in a mini bundt mold, or special baba mold, and decorated with whipped cream. The dessert, of course, can be made as a larger size cake as well, in a so-called savarin mold.

Babas are effectively made of the same ingredients (yeast, flour, egg, milk, etc.) and method as any other brioche, or sweet bread, like babka.

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Is the Rum baba Italian dessert? I first came across rum baba in Naples, Italy (Babà Napoletano) where it is in fact a local specialty and available everywhere with all sorts of filling and shapes. A few years later, I had this wonderful rum baba at Comi 107 Restaurant, Lake Como (Italy)! And finally, I am sharing with you my best Rum baba recipe, keep reading!

Rum baba at Lake Como (Italy) at Comi 107 Restaurant

Why this is the best recipe

It is super easy – No fancy ingredients are needed to make this Rum baba recipe, it is literally made of flour, butter, milk, etc. The recipe comes together really easily, a totally doable even if you are a beginner – however please make sure you pay attention to my Baking tips.
It is not much effort, most of the time is just waiting for the dough to proof – The amount of effort making Baba is really minimal, however, you will have to rest the dough in between steps. Since Baba is a yeasted dough, you can´t really speed the process of proofing. Rest assured, the time you will spend in the kitchen itself is absolutely minimal
It is super delicious – Imagine delicious buttery pillowy brioche dough soaked in a rum syrup with that luxurious creamy vanilla bean mascarpone frosting. This Rum Baba is totally addictive! A lovely mini rum cake that will impress everybody
No special equipment is needed – A stand mixer is super handy when it comes to kneading the Baba dough but apart from that, all you need is a tin to bake, and you are good to go! Having said that, you can totally knead the dough with your hands, and replace the gym with baking on that day!

How much alcohol is in this recipe

Before we jump into the alcohol content, in general, there are two ways to add rum to your Babas.

In this recipe alcohol is added to the syrup after the sugar and water was cooked – this means that as we do not cook the rum, all the alcohol will stay in
If alcohol is a concern, feel free to add rum to the water sugar mixture while cooking – in this way you will cook the syrup with the alcohol and during the cooking process most of the alcohol will evaporate

Can I make this recipe with more rum?

Yes, you can, however, reduce the water with the same amount

Can I make this recipe with less rum?

Yes, you can, however, increase the water with the same amount

Can I make this recipe with no rum?

Yes, you can, however, increase the water with the same amount and think about what other flavoring you want to bring in, eg. orange zest would be a good idea

Can I make this recipe with another alcohol?

Yes, you can, however, I have not tried it, so not sure what else would be a great fit. Maybe Gin & Lime, sort of a gin&tonic Baba. Or Aperol & Orange, kinda like an Aperol Spritz Baba. Feel free to experiment

Ingredient notes

Butter: Use always unsalted butter as you want to be in control of the quantity of the salt. I am using 82% fat content European-style butter in all my recipes. In this recipe, the butter needs to be at room temperature so soft enough to be able to knead into the dough. Make sure that you avoid last-minute microwaving as melted butter won´t incorporate into the dough
Milk: Use room temperature whole milk
Egg: Room temperature as always, 1 egg + 1 yolk to keep the Baba extra moist and delicious
Flour: Rum baba is effectively a sweet bread similar to brioche, or sweet bread, like babka. Make sure to use high protein content bread flour which contains more gluten and helps to achieve that lovely airy texture. It might not be called bread flour in your country, so check the protein content and choose one that is higher. If you really can´t find bread flour, go with all-purpose flour. If you want to be a Pro when it comes to deciding what type of flour to use in your baking, please read my article in here
Salt: An essential ingredient in most of dessert recipes. Balances flavor and enhances other ingredients

Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page in the RECIPE CARD!

Baba dough ingredients

For the rum syrup

Sugar – use simple granulated sugar to make the syrup
Water – Soaking syrups are very often used in a 1:1 sugar water ratio, however, in this Rum baba recipe we will need the syrup to be a bit more on the liquid side so there will be more water in the recipe than usual
Lime juice and zest (optional) – Any citrus would balance the sweetness of the syrup and bring an extra depth of flavor. Feel free to try it

For the whipped mascarpone frosting

Mascarpone: Very rich Italian cream cheese, exceptionally smooth, and easy to spread or whip. The flavor is milky and slightly sweet. Use full-fat version, the one I used has 41% fat content
Heavy cream: Also known as whipping cream, has a fat content between 36% and 40%, the one I am using is 36%. Use it very cold and do not substitute with vegetable-based “whipping cream”
Icing sugar: Icing sugar or powdered sugar is the first choice when it comes to whipping up the frosting. The question I often get is whether the quantity is a typo. NO, it´s not! You do not actually need a lot of sugar when making whipped mascarpone frosting! It stays beautifully fluffy without tons of sugar, the secret is the technique of whipping, not the amount of sugar. See my Baking tips below
Vanilla: Use high-quality natural vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or the vanilla pod itself

7 Expert tips regarding the technique

The process is easy: heat whole milk until lukewarm, mix the sugar in, then sprinkle yeast on top and wait 10 minutes until yeast starts to foam. The same process applies whether you are using fresh or dried yeast. The key here is that your milk is warm enough (lukewarm) but not too hot. Make sure that your kitchen is not too cold (above 20C / 68F). If yeast does not start bubbling after 10 minutes, chances are very low that the dough will rise. I recommend starting over again with new, fresher yeast.

Also, please make sure that you start using the activated yeast after it foams, about 10 minutes. Leaving it on the kitchen counter for too long might result in yeast overflowing and eventually breaking.

yeast after 10 minutes

How to make the Baba dough

The Rum baba dough is basically a sweet brioche, therefore the process of making it is similar to baking bread meaning, and it starts with kneading the dough.

Once the yeast is foamy, place all the wet ingredients (the yeasty mixture + egg) into the bowl of your Stand mixer then after mixing for a minute, add the dry ingredients (bread flour, salt) and start kneading with the help of the dough hook. First, it will look a bit messy, but after a few minutes, the dough will start to come together then add soft butter in very small portions piece by piece while the mixer is on.

Very important that butter is at room temperature and soft, but not too soft or liquid which would make it impossible to mix that into the dough. Butter might not get mixed in immediately but keep your Stand mixer on, and eventually, it will all come together. Do not add more flour but keep kneading in your mixer! Once the dough comes together, you will have to knead it for another approx. 10 minutes on medium-high speed up until the dough is super shiny, elastic, and achieves the gluten window! At this point, the dough should not stick at all.

Please do not change this Baba dough recipe and add a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I promise the dough will come together in the process of kneading and does not require more flour or milk etc.

Once the dough is ready, cover it with a tea towel and let it proof for 1-2 hours at room temperature. Make sure that you chose a warm spot in your house (but not hot, no direct heat or sun). The dough should approx. double in size, the exact proofing time will depend on the temperature and humidity of the environment.

Useful tips for proofing any yeasted dough

23-25C / 73-77F is sort of ideal to proof this dough, but avoid speeding the process with your oven as that can lead to an over-proofed dough. Also, avoid direct sunshine and extreme heat as that would just melt the dough.

Under proofed dough is equally problematic than proofing the dough for too long. Instead of focusing on time whether it is 1h or 2h – that might vary depending on your temperature and humidity – here is how to check whether your dough is ready to be baked.

Gently press the dough

if the dough bounces back immediate – your dough need more time to proof
if the dough stays there or only comes back halfway – the proofing is done
if the gentle press causes the dough to deflate – your dough was over proofed

If by any chance you over-proofed your dough, it is better to punch the air out of it and start the process again by proofing again. To avoid over-proofing please make sure you do not forget your dough and you do not force-proof it with the oven.

How to shape the Babas

Once the dough approx. doubles in size, punch the air out of it, gently knead for a minute with the palm of your hands then divide it into 8 using a Digital scale.

Prepare your baking in. Butter and flour the tin throughout or use a cylinder silicone mold that does not require any greasing.

Form 8 balls with your hand and place them into your mold. Use a small amount of extra flour while shaping the dough, if needed. Please note that if you are using a different mold, you might need to use more or less dough per 1 baba.

Now moving on to the 2nd proofing that will take 1-2h depending on your room temperature and humidity. What we are looking for is the baba dough to about fill the cake tin but make sure you do not over-proof it. Please check above my proofing tips!

How to bake

First of all, how not bake these Babas? Never bake them without a second proofing!

During the end of the second rise pre-heat your oven to 190C / 374F, then once Baba dough has a nice rise place it into the oven, lower the temp to 180C / 356F, and bake for about 25 minutes.

Please make sure you invest in an inexpensive Digital oven thermometer to avoid under-baked or burnt Babas especially if you typically have trouble with your oven. Check the progress at 20 minutes and adjust the temperature, if needed. The Babas are ready when they are nicely puffed up and golden brown.

pre-proofing, after proofing, after baked

How to make rum syrup

Similar to a Lemon Pound cake, the syrup makes the Babas wonderfully flavorful and super aromatic! Making this rum syrup literally takes less than 5 minutes and could not be easier!

Towards the end of the baking time, start boiling sugar, water, a little bit of lime juice (optional), and lime zest (optional) for 5-7 minutes (depending on your stove) until syrup slightly thickens. Once the mixture gets syrupy, remove it from the stove and pour rum in.
Use the syrup immediately: pour half of the warm syrup of the hot babas as soon as they are out of the oven. Some of the syrup will sink in.
In a few minutes remove the babas to a plate or baking pan and pour the rest of the syrup on them. The syrup might look a lot at first, but keep turning the Babas in it and they will soak that in.
Be careful as the Babas are rather fragile while they are warm and wet from the syrup. It will stabilize as it cools and the syrup will make the Rum babas not just flavorful but also wonderfully shiny

Note regarding rum: Make sure you use a nice, delicious rum otherwise it will just ruin your cake. You can use as much rum as you wish, however, treat it as “wet ingredients” so if you increase the rum in the recipe, you should decrease the water. The rum I state in the recipe gives a decent rum taste that is not too overpowering. You can of course use more or less syrup depending on your taste.

Note regarding the amount of syrup: The amount of syrup in this recipe makes Babas wonderfully moist but not wet nor soggy. Some of the Rum babas I had in Italy and France were way soggier, however, in this recipe, I was aiming for a consistency that makes the Babas creamy and flavorful without being too wet. You can of course use more or less syrup depending on your taste.

How to make whipped mascarpone frosting

Whipped mascarpone is a super simple frosting that consists of heavy cream, mascarpone, and a small amount of icing sugar whipped until fluffy, pipeable consistency. It is creamy, milky, super stable frosting. If can´t access mascarpone, make chantilly cream instead, or feel free to serve the Babas with a scoop of ice cream or on their own.

Using the right ingredients at the right temperature is extremely important while making whipped mascarpone:

mascarpone has to be cold, use the full-fat version (41%)
heavy cream needs to be very cold (pop it into the freezer for a few minutes before using it) and again, full-fat version so anywhere between 36-40%
icing sugar has to be sifted to avoid lumps

You will have to whip the mixture with an electric hand mixer for a minute or two until it reaches a creamy, fluffy consistency, then stop. It won´t get stiffer after this point, in fact, if you overbeat it, it will get only runnier then it will break. I don´t use my stand mixer to whip this frosting since it is really easy to overwhip it. For a more detailed tutorial check my mascarpone frosting recipe.

Once you are happy with the consistency, move frosting into a piping bag fitted with your favorite nozzle tip, the one I am using is Wilton 1M piping nozzle tip.

Wait until the Babas come to room temperature and the syrup sets on them, then decorate each with the frosting. Best, if you only decorate them before serving, in that way you can store the Babas at room temperature so they stay softer and moister.

Once you applied the frosting, store the Babas in the fridge.

Equipment notes

First and foremost make sure you measure the ingredients with the help of a Digital scale.

For kneading the dough a Stand mixer is super handy with the dough hook on, however, if you are strong you can attempt doing it by hand, good luck!

Finally, for baking the Babas you will need a mold. I am using a tall cylinder silicone mold and the quantity stated in the recipe makes 8 Babas. Alternatively, you can also use mini bundt mold, mini savarin mold, or even a cupcake tin.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour

Yes, you can however high protein content bread flour will provide a better texture and flavor

Why my yeast does not bubble

You should always use the yeast within the expiry date. Make sure that the temperature is correct for your yeast to get activated. Milk should be lukewarm, your kitchen should be also not too cold (above 20C / 68F). If yeast does not start bubbling after 10 minutes, chances are very low that the dough will rise at a later stage. I recommend not to waste the rest of the ingredients but start again with a new batch of yeast

Why my Baba does not rise in the oven

It can be a combination of reasons: Either your yeast does not work, see point above. Or, the second proofing has not happened, or for not long enough. Perhaps the oven temperature was too low, or the ingredients are not measured accurately

Can I make this recipe gluten-free, eggless, vegan, etc.

Most probably yes, you can, however, you can´t just leave out / change one ingredient without reformulating the entire recipe. When one ingredient changes, some other ingredients need to be changed too in order to keep the balance in the texture and flavor. Sadly, I am not able to provide substitutes for all sort of allergies and diets.

Can I make this recipe in a smaller / bigger pan

Yes, you can, however, you will need to adjust the ingredient quantities and baking time accordingly.

Can I make this recipe without rum

Yes, you can but then you are not making Rum baba:) If alcohol is a concern, please check my tips on how to reduce or substitute rum at the section above called “How much alcohol is in this recipe”

Can I make the Babas without whipped mascarpone frosting

Yes, you can. Alternatively, make chantilly cream, or even serve it with a scoop of ice cream or on its own

How to store

Babas do not require a fridge, however after they should be kept refrigerated after the frosting is applied on them

How to freeze

You can easily freeze the Babas in an air-tight container and enjoy it later whenever you feel like it. Freeze them without frosting as whipped mascarpone does not freeze well.