CLASSIC RUM BABA

The Boozy Icon of Neapolitan Pâtisserie

Babà al rum is one of those desserts that feels like a celebration in every bite—soft, syrup-soaked, and bursting with personality. Often described as a “drunken cake,” this golden delight is soaked in a fragrant rum syrup, giving it that unique punch that makes it stand out on any dessert table.

Loved especially by adults for its boozy indulgence, babà is often served in elegant pâtisseries across Naples, but also made at home for festive occasions. It's the kind of cake that whispers luxury, yet it’s warmly familiar—a “gourmet” dessert with nonna’s blessing. Perfect to impress your guests or to reward yourself after a long week.

Beyond its theatrical taste, the babà is highly versatile: it can be served solo with extra rum syrup, paired with whipped cream, or even filled with pastry cream or fruit for a more decadent twist. In Naples, you might even spot a mini babà served in a plastic cup, eaten on the go like a street food dessert—unapologetically fun and festive.

While the babà is undoubtedly indulgent, its base is a light, yeasted dough rich in eggs—meaning it’s airy and digestible, despite its decadent rum bath. The sugar content comes mainly from the syrup, which can be adjusted to personal preference.

This is not an everyday dessert—it’s a special occasion treat. One that embodies the spirit of Southern Italian hospitality: rich, generous, and celebratory. And if enjoyed mindfully, a small babà can bring a big smile without weighing you down.

If you like light, spongy cakes with high versatility don’t miss our Nonna’s Bundt Cake  and Pan di Spagna recipes! [Hyperlink]

A little history

The origins of babà trace back to 18th-century France and Poland, but it’s in Naples that it found its true cultural home. Brought to the Kingdom of Naples by French chefs in the Bourbon court, it quickly became part of local culinary identity—adapted, perfected, and adored.

The name likely derives from the Polish king Stanisław Leszczyński, who is said to have soaked a dry kugelhopf in rum to make it more palatable. The idea was then refined in France and ultimately embraced by Neapolitan pastry makers, who gave the babà its now-iconic mushroom shape and airy texture.

Today, babà al rum is synonymous with Neapolitan excellence in baking. It symbolizes festivity, craftsmanship, and a touch of irreverence—a dessert for those who like tradition with a little twist of adventure.

The ingredients

For the sponge:

• 500g | 17.6oz eggs [9 or 10 depending on size]

• 6g | 0.2oz fresh brewer’s yeast

• 415g | 14.6oz Manitoba flour

• 20g | 0.7oz dry sourdough starter

• 17g | 0.6oz honey

• 140g | 4.9oz butter + extra for moulds

• 4g | 0.1oz sea salt

For the syrup:

• 200g | 7.1oz rum

• 1L | 35.20fl oz water

• 300g | 10.6oz sugar

• 80g | 2.8oz honey

• 15g | 0.5oz cinnamon stick

• peel of 2 lemons

• peel of 2 oranges

The recipe step by step

1. For the sponge: crack 9 or 10 eggs, depending on the size, in a bowl to reach 500g | 17.6oz

2. Pour 1 yolk with its white in a separate bowl and whisk thoroughly together with the fresh brewer’s yeast, then place both bowls in the fridge for circa 15 minutes

3. Add Manitoba flour, dry sourdough starter, 17g | 0.6oz honey, 3 eggs and the egg and yeast mix to the mixer bowl, and mix until the dough becomes elastic

4. Add two more eggs and keep mixing until the dough return to be elastic

5. Repeat the process for each extra egg, when adding the last egg add also the sea salt and mix again

6. When the dough has regained its elasticity, add a third of the butter and keep mixing. The butter must be at room temperature, circa 20-21 °C | 68-70 °F

7. Repeat the process twice more, each time adding a third of the butter

8. Butter another bowl, transfer the dough in it and knead the dough by head for a little longer, giving it an homogeneous texture and shape

9. Wrap the bowl in cling film and leave to prove for 45 minutes in the oven, with only the light on or at 28 °C | 82,4 °F

10. Once proved, transfer the dough into a piping bag and pipe 40g | 1.4oz of dough in each mould, after having carefully brushed them all with butter

11. Place all the moulds on an oven tray and leave to prove for 30 minutes more in the oven, with only the light on or at 28 °C | 82,4 °F

12. They are ready when the dough raises up to 1cm below the rim, then bring the oven to 170 °C | 338 °F and bake for 40 minutes on static mode

13. Remove the tray from the oven and let them cool down for 5 minutes, then remove the babas from the moulds and place them upright back on the tray

14. Bake for 10 minutes more on static mode at 150 °C | 302 °F, then remove from the oven and let them cool down fully

15. For the syrup: pour 1L | 35.20fl oz water in a pot with sugar, cinnamon sticks, 80g | 2.8oz of honey, and the peel of 2 lemons and 2 oranges

16. Bring the mix to 65 °C | 145 °F, stirring to dissolve sugar and honey, and to marry all the flavors

17. Kill the heat on the stove, wrap the pot in cling film and let the syrup infuse for 20 minutes, when cooled down add the rum and stir

18. On the stove, bring the syrup to 60 °C | 140 °F, while stirring from time to time

19. In a wide and low Pyrex container place the babas resting on their side, and pour carefully the syrup on top.

20. Let them soak for 10 minutes on each side, then squeeze each baba gently but thoroughly

21. Strain the syrup and cut the peels into thin strips to decorate your babas before serving…then enjoy! 😋