Passport
Baker
Stephanie
Location
Stevens Point, WI
Baking Challenge
Rum Baba and Upside Down Cake
Give your cake a name based on the ingredients and decoration – and tell us about the origin of your recipe.
Baby Babas and Strawberry Upside Down Cake. I had never heard of or tried Rum Babas. Thought I would try something new. Researched numerous recipes and the pans to make them in. Being in a rather rural area, we don’t have a lot of options for shopping. I found mini savarin moulds at the thrift store, thus "Baby Babas." I ended up using Paul Hollywood’s recipe for those. As long as the oven was hot, decided to make use of the fresh strawberries I had. They are in season here now. I used a rose bundt pan hoping the the red strawberries would come out looking like the flower when I flipped it out.
Tell us about your proudest moment – or humble failure – in this week’s baking challenge.
Was thrilled when the upside down cake came out of the pan perfectly and the Rum Babas just slid out of the pan! Working with a pastry bag was challenging. It was difficult to make them consistent, especially in the mini moulds.
Describe how you added a Wisconsin twist to your creation.
For the Rum Babas I used Heath Rum from North Woods Distillery in Coleman, Wisconsin, which is toffee flavored. I don’t drink rum and was pleasantly surprised how well it worked in the recipe. Thought of making a caramel sauce for them until I tasted the syrup. None was necessary. Think it would make a great fall dessert. Topped with tart green apple tossed in cinnamon and sugar for a little contrast to the sweet and toffee flavors. For the cake, the seasonal strawberries are the Wisconsin highlight. Add a few blueberries and it makes a perfect 4th of July dessert.
How did you do?
Pleasantly satisfied.
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