Rumbaba is a yeast cake soaked in rum syrup, originating from Eastern Europe and part of the babka family of alcohol-soaked cakes. It can be challenging to make at home and is commonly served in restaurants. It can be made in a large cake or individual pie form and is very rich and intense. Non-alcoholic versions can be made with artificial rum or rum extract. It is known by various names in different regions and is available in restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets.
Rumbaba is a type of yeast cake soaked in rum syrup, resulting in a very sweet, rich and strongly flavored final product. This cake originated in Eastern Europe, where it has been made since at least the 1600s. Rumbaba is a common offering in the winter, when alcoholic desserts are considered particularly fortifying, though it can also be served in the summer months. Many people eat rumbaba mostly in restaurants, because it can be challenging and time-consuming to make at home.
This cake is part of a larger family of alcohol-soaked cakes known as babas or babkas. These cakes were developed in Poland and imported to France in the 1800s. Two different styles of rumbaba are commonly made today. One is a large cake in a tall mold that includes raisins, currants or other dried fruit, in the traditional babka style. The other is an individual pie that is often filled with custard or another rich filling, typically made in small molds such as those used to make madeleines.
Yeast cakes tend to be sweeter, richer, and more complex than cakes made with other forms of leavening. Rumbaba is no exception. Even before the rum syrup, the cake has lots of butter and egg, making it a very rich and intense dessert. The cake is baked, rolled and drizzled with the rum syrup while still hot to encourage the cake to absorb as much as possible. Some cooks also dip the cake in syrup to enhance the rummy flavor. The result is a moist cake with an intoxicating alcoholic note.
Cooks who want a non-alcoholic version of rumbaba can use artificial rum or rum extract, which has much less alcohol than pure rum. For other cooks, the alcohol is part of the point of the pie and gourmet rums can be used for superior flavor and intensity. The cake can also be combined with candied orange or lemon peel. A whipped cream or custard garnish may be applied to the rumbaba just prior to serving in some regions of the world.
The people also refer to rumbaba: rum baba, baba au rhum, father’s pie, or savarin, depending on the region. Rumbaba is produced in Turkey, France, Italy, Eastern Europe and parts of the United States in restaurants and bakeries and is sometimes available in packaged form in supermarkets. Packaged rumbaba can sometimes be soggy, rather than just moist, depending on how it was handled.
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