Limoncello Babà the dessert par excellence: it’s a variant with an intense lemon aroma. Majestic, soft, very light!
It is a sumptuous dessert that is part of my Flavors of the Heart, its taste is indelible on the palate, when I prepare it on the first bite I must find that emotion.
Be careful though, it is an addictive dessert, now highly requested by all my friends.
Here I give you a very easy recipe to prepare and perfectly dosed.
For the dough, the choice of the right ingredients and the correct processing are essential to obtain a soft babà with an enveloping aroma.
The babà dough is made up of strong flour that retains air. Eggs, butter, brewer’s yeast, and sugar.
For kneading, I recommend using a planetary mixer.
For the soaking today, however, I don’t use Rum, but some excellent Limoncello combined with a syrup of water and sugar, which will give a wonderful touch to your Babà.
My recipe is very simple, the only precaution is to pay attention to the leavening, the dough must reach a half-inch from the edge otherwise during cooking it risks bursting.
You can make it either in a classic high ring mold with a cone, in a flower shape for babà, or if you prefer you can use a savarin mold.
If you want to make single portions using aluminum molds.
I leave you a small but big tip for correct cooking it is essential to ensure a rum babà with perfect browning that develops that enveloping aroma that anticipates the pleasure of every bite.
“Always cook the babà the day before because the drier it is, the better it will absorb the soak.”
For the decoration, you can choose between whipped cream or custard with fresh fruit or slices of candied lemon are also fine.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 380.84 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 54.00 (g) of which sugars 32.74 (g)
- Proteins 7.39 (g)
- Fat 11.46 (g) of which saturated 6.78 (g)of which unsaturated 4.29 (g)
- Fibers 0.90 (g)
- Sodium 140.63 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Limoncello Babà
- 2 3/4 cups Manitoba flour
- 6 eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp dry brewer's yeast (double if fresh)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 cups water
- 3/4 cup limoncello
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 lemon
- as needed candied cherry
- lemon
Tools
- Planetary Mixer
- Mold
- Food Scale
- Saucepan
Steps for the Limoncello Babà
The babà dough requires a long processing time, so I recommend using a planetary mixer or a very strong electric mixer with spiral beaters.
In this recipe, it is essential to use Manitoba flour because it can absorb a lot of liquids and develop a lot of gluten.
The butter must be taken out and used at room temperature
The eggs must be 6 large and at room temperature.
Now let’s start kneading.
Weigh the whole eggs without shells, then beat them lightly with the help of a fork.
(300 g of eggs corresponds to about 6 eggs).
Put the Manitoba flour, sugar, dry brewer’s yeast in the bowl of the mixer, then stir to blend the dry ingredients.
Add a pinch of salt.
Mount the dough hook on the mixer and start working the ingredients, pouring the beaten eggs little by little.
Do this operation very gradually to hydrate the flour slowly.
Insert the eggs and work the dough for 15/20 minutes.
In the end, it must be elastic and very well mixed.
Now gradually add the soft butter to the dough. Only when the first piece is integrated, add a second piece until all the butter is used.
This phase of processing must last at least 10 minutes.
Once the dough is ready, grease your hands with a little butter and remove it from the mixer hook.
The dough will be extremely soft but at the same time elastic and easy to work by hand.
Place it in a ring mold with a diameter of 9.5-10.2 inches, well buttered.
Even if it seems little, after leavening it will triple its volume reaching the edge of the mold!
To make it easier for you, place it in the oven turned off with the light on.
Once leavening is complete, we can bake in a fan oven at 356°F for about 30 minutes or in a static oven at 374°F for the same time.
(Absolutely avoid opening the oven for the first 25/28 minutes).
Remove from the oven and let cool.
In the meantime, prepare the soak by boiling water and sugar with a peel of an untreated and well-washed lemon, cut for about 20 minutes.
When the syrup is ready, turn off the heat and add the limoncello.
We take our babà out of the oven and let it cool in the mold.
Then with a skewer, pierce the entire surface.
Soak the babà with the limoncello syrup, adding a little at a time to let it absorb well.
Gradually the babà will absorb all the syrup and will increase in volume.
Once the syrup is finished, flip the babà cake onto a serving plate and then decorate it with candied cherries or fresh fruit.
(If you like, you can make some whipped cream tufts for decoration).
Enjoy your meal.
Tips
The Babà Cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. It can also be frozen, sliced, separated by a sheet of baking paper.
If you don’t have a planetary mixer, you can use spiral electric beaters. In the last steps, you will have to knead by hand.
You can also soak it at a later time, when cold. It lasts a few days, covered with cling film. It tends to dry out, but once soaked, it will become soft and perfect!
If you use fresh brewer’s yeast, you will need 14 grams.
You can also create the Rum Baba Cake, simply by replacing the limoncello with rum.
If you liked this recipe, click on many stars. Thank you so much.
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