Baba au rum

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 100 g raisins, soaked in rum
• ½ cube of yeast
• 250 g flour
• 50 g butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 lemon(s), grated peel
• 1 vanilla pod(s)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 180 g sugar
• 500 ml water
• 200 g sugar
• 100 ml rum

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 6 hours

Soak the raisins in rum for a few hours or overnight. Dissolve the yeast in 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water and make a pre-dough with a little sugar or honey and a few tablespoons of sifted flour. Let it rise for at least 15 minutes. Then add the remaining flour and gradually add the melted butter (not too hot), the raisins, eggs, lemon zest, salt, and sugar. Knead well but not too tightly. Form into a ball, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise for 1.5 hours. Knead again. Place in a well-buttered Bundt cake pan (or divide into 6 small balls and place in 6 small Bundt cake pans). Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for another 30 minutes. Bake at 180-200°C until light brown, then let cool slightly on a wire rack. Boil 200g of sugar in 500ml of water until the sugar has dissolved, add the vanilla bean pulp, let it cool, and add the rum. Place the cake on a plate and brush it repeatedly with the syrup until it is completely soaked and the syrup is used up. Variation: Mix 350g of apricot jam with lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water, bring to a boil. After soaking, place the cake on a dry plate and brush it over the top.