Rum baba, the detailed recipe

Ingredients

The dough :

• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 0.5 oz fresh yeast
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup butter

The syrup :

• 3 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 organic lemons
• 2/3 cup rum
• 1 vanilla bean

Decor :

• 3 oz apricot jam
• 1.5 cups whipping cream

Preparation

• In a bowl, put the flour, the salt, the sugar, and dig a hole. Put the yeast in the middle, being careful it doesn't touch the salt. Add the eggs and start to knead at speed 2 for 4 minutes.
  Then, while kneading, add the softened butter little by little. Once you add all the butter, keep kneading for 10 minutes. The dough should form a ball.
• Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a piece of cloth and leave to swell for 1 hour at room temperature.
  Then, make a hole in the middle and spread it to form a regular circle.
  
• Put this circle of dough in a baba mould (previously greased), then put at room temperature again during 1 hour. Then, bake 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Unmould and let it cool down.
• The syrup :
  Put the water, the sugar, the peel of 1 lemon, and the juice of both of them in a big pot. Bring to a boil and take out of the heat. Add the rum and the sliced vanilla bean with its seeds. Cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
  
• Put the baba on a grid, on top of a deep baking tray. Using a laddle, pour the syrup little by little on the baba to soak it. Once you used all the syrup, don't hesitate to use it another time. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Put the apricot jam in the microwave oven for 30 secondes, then strain it to take the pieces of fruit out. Brush the baba with it to make it shine.
  
• Whip the cream and put it in the center of the baba.
• There you are, your rum baba is ready. For those who really like rum, don't hesitate to add a splash of it on your piece of cake ;)