Baking

Shannon Bennett's chai rum baba

Name: Shannon Bennett's chai rum baba
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: ¾ cup (120g) currants; ¼ cup rum; 1 cup (250ml) milk, warmed; 4 eggs, lightly beaten; 1 x 7g sachet dried yeast; 3 cups (450g) self raising flour; 1 tbs caster sugar; 1 tsp salt; 80g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing; Orange and grapefruit segments, to serve; Ice cream or whipped cream, to serve; 1 ½ cup brown sugar; 1 cup spiced rum; 1 each of lemon and orange, 3 strips of zest removed on each with a peeler, juiced; 5 chai tea bags; 1 lemon, zest removed with a peeler and thinly chopped; 1 orange, zest removed with a peeler and thinly chopped; ¾ cup caster sugar

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by Shannon Bennett

Chef

Dec 01, 2017

A retro classic with a spiced modern twist.

¾ cup (120g) currants
¼ cup rum
1 cup (250ml) milk, warmed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 x 7g sachet dried yeast
3 cups (450g) self raising flour
1 tbs caster sugar
1 tsp salt
80g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
Orange and grapefruit segments, to serve
Ice cream or whipped cream, to serve

Chai tea and rum syrup

1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 cup spiced rum
1 each of lemon and orange, 3 strips of zest removed on each with a peeler, juiced
5 chai tea bags

Candied citrus (optional)

1 lemon, zest removed with a peeler and thinly chopped
1 orange, zest removed with a peeler and thinly chopped
¾ cup caster sugar

Method

1.

Place currents and rum into a small microwavable container, microwave for 1 minute on high, set aside to cool. Place milk, sugar and yeast in a jug. Set aside for 5 minutes or until frothy.
2.

Place flour, salt and eggs into a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the motor running on low, gradually add yeast mixture and eggs, knead for 5 minutes until a soft sticky dough forms, add butter, knead for a further 5 minutes or until combined. Fold through raisins. Cover bowl with cling wrap, prove in a warm place for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size. Knock back the dough then place in a greased 2-litre bundt cake pan. Leave in a warm place for 40 minutes to rise.
3.

Preheat oven to 200°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 onto a shallow serving dish.
4.

Meanwhile to make the Chai rum syrup, place brown sugar, rum citrus and juice into a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over a high heat, turn down to medium, simmer for 7 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Take off heat, add tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Pass through a sieve into a jug, discarding solids.
5.

Drench baba with chai rum syrup and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
6.

To make the candied zest, place zest, sugar and ½ cup (125ml) of water into a saucepan, bring to a boil over a medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl, cool completely.
7.

To serve, place chai rum baba onto a serving dish, top with candied citrus and serve with segments and whipped cream or ice-cream.