Babà al Limoncello (Limoncello Babà)

EATALY MAGAZINE (March 02, 2017)
These delicious little yeast cakes known as babà are normally soaked in rum, but since they are a specialty of Campania, we like to soak them in one of that region's signature liqueurs — tart limoncello. Then, present them garnished with strips of candied lemon and raspberries for a delicious finish.
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COURSE: Dolce
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PREPARATION TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

Yields: 6 cakes

4 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons instant yeast
1 cup sugar
10 large eggs
14 tablespoons (1 stick plus 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering pans
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2/3 cup Pallini Limoncello
Garnishes, as desired (recipe for candied citrus here!)

Butter 6 babà molds and set them on a baking sheet. If you don't have babà molds, use any other mini-cake pan or use or use the indentations in a large muffin pan.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the flour, yeast, and ¼ cup sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add four eggs and mix on medium speed until combined. Add 2 additional eggs and mix until combined, then add the last 2 eggs and mix until they are fully incorporated and the dough is shiny.

Cut the butter into pieces and add them, one at a time, to the dough, making sure the pieces are incorporated between additions. Add the salt and mix until combined. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place (about 85°F) to rise until doubled in bulk, 35 to 40 minutes.

Divide the dough between the prepared molds or pans, and bake until they spring back when pressed with a finger, about 20 minutes.

Set a rack over a baking sheet. Cool the cakes in the pans on the rack for about 5 minutes, then remove from the rack and let cool completely.

In a saucepan, combine the remaining ¾ cup sugar, the Pallini Limoncello, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue cooking, whisking frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drop a cake into the hot syrup and allow it to be submerged completely. When there are no longer any bubbles rising to the surface, remove the cake and transfer it to the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining cakes and syrup, allow to cool, add garnishes, and serve.

Buon appetito!

This recipe was first published courtesy of Eataly Magazine.

Find the original recipe here

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