(BAH-bah) – Baba is called babka in Poland and Babas Au Rhum in France. In French, the word baba meaning, “falling over or dizzy.” These are small cakes made from yeast dough containing raisins or currants. They are baked in cylindrical molds and then soaked with sugar syrup usually flavored with rum (originally they were soaked in a sweet fortified wine). After these cakes were soaked in the wine sauce for a day, the dried fruits would fall out of them.
Baba Au Rhum
In the 18th century, French chef, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826),created a cake that he served with a rum sauce that he called Baba Au Savarin. The dessert became very popular in France, but the people called it Baba Au Rhum and soon dropped the name Savarin.
History:
For a history of Baba and Baba Au Rhum, check out Linda Stradley’s History of Cakes.
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