Method

• 1.
  Stir yeast with a pinch of the sugar, the milk and 1 tablespoon of flour and leave in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes or until the mixture starts to froth. Place remaining flour and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Stir yeast mixture into flour, then add eggs, one at a time, blending after each. Add butter and knead for about 10 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for at least 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• 2.
  Knock back the dough, kneading again for about 5 minutes, then place in a greased 2-litre savarin* mould. Leave in a warm place for 40 minutes to rise.
• 3.
  Preheat oven to 190°C. Cook baba for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into cake comes out clean. Stand for 5 minutes then turn out of mould.
• 4.
  To make the oranges, place sugar and 1 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add oranges, simmer for 20-25 minutes or until soft but not disintegrating, then remove slices. Boil liquid until reduced and syrupy. Pour over oranges, then cool.
• 5.
  To make rum syrup, place sugar, juice and 350ml of water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 8 minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool, then stir in rum.

• 6.
  Place baba on a baking tray and use a thin skewer to prick cake all over. Pour over syrup to saturate the sponge. Keep drenching sponge with syrup until most of it has soaked in. To serve, fill the centre with the oranges, or serve with fresh fruit.