“Babà is a classic Neapolitan dessert which is usually made with rum. In my region, where lemons are plentiful, the pastry shops often make it with limoncello. For this recipe, I decided to give oranges a go and it really works well. Please note, you need to make this at least one day before you intend to serve it as it needs to dry out overnight before being soaked in the syrup.”
By Gennaro Contaldo – Prep/Cook time: 1hr – Serves: 10–12
Ingredients
10 eggs
40g caster (superfine) sugar
200g butter, softened, plus extra to grease
600g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
40g fresh yeast, dissolved in 2 tbsp lukewarm water
For the syrup
2 large oranges
400g granulated sugar
1.5 litres water
100ml orange liqueur, or more if you prefer a stronger taste
For the custard cream
500ml milk
40g cornflour (cornstarch)
Large strip of orange peel (blood oranges work nicely, too)
4 egg yolks
140g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8×8 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. You can also line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy cake removal later.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl or large measuring jug, whisk together the Greek yogurt, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, honey, and melted coconut oil until smooth.
Gradually combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just incorporated—be careful not to over mix.
Gently fold in the blueberries, then pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
