Savarin (Rum Baba) is a beautiful, rum-soaked cake that’s light and elegant. Perfect for ending a special meal on a memorable note.
This is the perfect show-stopping Dessert for your next special occasion. Try Key Lime Cake and Lemon Cheesecake for more decadent and beautiful desserts.
Sabrina’s Savarin (Rum Baba) Recipe
Savarin is a classic French dessert also known as a baba or baba au rhum. The pastry is made with a buttery yeast dough, baked in a donut-shaped mold and soaked in a luscious syrup. The result is a tender, buttery cake perfect for serving with more elegant recipes like Steak Au Poivre and Green Bean Almondine. Also, be sure to read the Tips and Tricks section below to perfect this French dessert.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Savarin Cake:
- 1/4 cup whole milk , warm to the touch (110-115 degrees)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast , 1 packet
- 1 2/3 cup flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar , packed
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Rum Syrup:
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
To Finish:
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 1 cup mixed berries
- 2 kiwi , cut into 1/2″ triangle cubes
Instructions
Rum Syrup:
- Add sugar to a saucepan on medium heat and swirl it around the pan until the sugar starts to turn golden brown.
- Cook until it turns a light golden brown color, about 2-3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, whisk in the water and keep whisking until the sugar is completely dissolved in the water.
- When cooled add in the rum and lemon juice.
Savarin Cake:
- Add milk to your stand mixer.
- Stir in the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.
- On the lowest speed add in the flour until just combined.
- Add in the eggs one at a time until combined.
- Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
- Once it has risen, change out the balloon whisk attachment for a dough hook.
- On medium speed add in a spoonful of sugar (regular or brown) and a tablespoon of butter at a time.
- Let the dough hook knead for 1 minute between each addition of the sugar and butter until it is all incorporated.
- Turn the kneading onto high speed and knead for 4 additional minutes until the dough is soft but no longer sticky.
- Heat the oven onto 375 degrees.
- Add the dough to a greased round bundt pan (a plain round pan)
- Bake for 28-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
To Finish:
- Let cool for 5 minutes before removing using an upside down cake stand.
- Flip carefully to remove from the pan.
- Brush on the rum syrup while the cake is still warm.
- In a small bowl mix the apricot preserves and the warm water, then brush the preserves over the cake.
- Let cool completely.
- When serving add the whipped cream to the middle of the cake and top with berries and kiwi.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
This buttery dough is similar to enriched brioche dough, but has less flour, resulting in a more cake like pastry. And if you prefer to leave the rum out, you can soak this cake in simple syrup, or a fruit infused syrup like raspberry or blackberry instead.
Table of contents
Can this be made ahead of time?
If you’re planning to make this recipe in advance, prepare the Savarin cake and the rum syrup. Cover both in plastic wrap and store them separately in the fridge. The cake will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. Finally, let the recipe come back to room temperature and add the rum and apricot syrup.
How to Store
- Store: You can keep leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days. Cover the dessert in plastic wrap or store slices in an air-tight container to keep fresh.
- Freeze: You can also carefully seal the cake to freeze for up to 2 weeks. If you’re planning to freeze the Rum Baba, do it before adding the cream topping.
Tips and Tricks
Follow these tips to get this French classic just right.
- Add the butter and sugar slowly
- It’s important to work the butter and sugar into the baba dough in increments so that it can fully incorporate into the dough and make a rich, sweet cake.
- Knead into a soft dough
- It’s important to knead the ingredients together until the dough is pulling away from the sides and no longer sticky. This is a good indicator that the dough is soft enough to bake into the rich, delicate cake you want.
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