Babà Napoletano — Naples's Rum-Soaked Yeast Cake

Warm the milk to 38°C — it should feel just warm on your wrist, not hot. Stir in the yeast with a pinch of the caster sugar and leave 10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn't foam, the yeast is dead; start again.

Combine the flour, remaining caster sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, mixing well after each addition — about 2 minutes total.

Pour in the yeast mixture and mix on medium-high for 12 minutes. The dough will be very wet and sticky, more like a thick batter than a bread dough. Do not add extra flour — trust the process.

With the mixer still running on medium, add the cold butter one piece at a time. Wait for each piece to fully incorporate before adding the next. Once all butter is in, increase to high and mix a further 3 minutes until the dough is glossy, smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise in a warm spot (24–26°C) until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Generously butter 8 individual babà moulds (9 cm tall, 6 cm diameter). Fill each halfway with dough — use a piping bag or wet spoon. Leave to prove uncovered until the dough reaches the rim, 30–45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C). Bake for 22–25 minutes until deep golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely — soaking a warm babà causes it to collapse.

Make the syrup: dissolve the caster sugar in the water over medium heat, stirring until clear. Add the orange zest and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Let the syrup cool to warm — about 50°C.

Submerge each cooled babà in the warm syrup. Press gently and hold it under for 45–60 seconds, turning once. A properly soaked babà feels heavy, springy, and glistens. An under-soaked one is rubbery — keep going. Lift out and place on a rack over a tray to catch drips.

Whip the double cream to soft peaks. Serve each babà at room temperature with a generous spoonful of cream alongside — or pipe it into the centre if the babà has a hollow.