RUM BABAS WITH CREAM

MAKES 8

Rum baba is a great dessert and is much simpler than it looks; make the cake, soak the cake, whip the cream and presto, fab dessert!

butter, for greasing

SYRUP

250 g (9 oz) sugar

zest of ½ an orange

zest of ½ a lemon

dash of natural vanilla extract

2 teaspoons good-quality rum

BABAS

3 g (¹/₁₀ oz) dried yeast

75 ml (2¼ fl oz) scalded milk, at room temperature

2 large eggs, organic, if possible

190 g (6¾ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

55 g (2 oz) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon (superfine) caster (superfine) sugar

185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) thin (pouring) cream, to serve

2 tablespoons icing (confectioners’) sugar, to serve

good-quality dark rum, to serve

For the syrup, place all the ingredients and 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 185°C (350°F/Gas 4). Lightly grease eight 200 ml (7 fl oz) ramekins with the butter.

For the babas, use a hand whisk to whisk the yeast and half themilk. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs quickly, then whisk them into the yeast mixture. Add the flour and use an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment to roughly bring the mixture together. On a medium–low speed, mix until smooth. Gradually add the remaining milk, mixing until smooth. Cream the butter and sugar together, then little by little, add the dough.

Place the ramekins on a baking tray. Fill each about half full with the mixture. Cover with a clean tea towel (dish towel) and leave in a warm place to double in size.

Bake the babas for about 25 minutes or until browned and evenly coloured. Remove from the ramekins.

Put the syrup in a bowl and soak the babas for 10 seconds while still warm to ensure they soak up a good amount of the syrup. Transfer the babas to a wire rack to cool.

Whisk the cream and icing sugar to soft peaks and set aside.

Just before serving, dip the babas into the syrup for a further 10 seconds then transfer back to the wire rack to drain a little. To serve, drizzle with the rum and serve with the syrup and a dollop of cream.