Shopping list
1/2 lemon + 1 orange
200g flour + pinch of salt
sachet dried yeast (7 g)
10 grams of honey
70 grams of butter
5 eggs
cooking spray or extra butter
500 ml cream
300 grams of sugar
400 ml water, 1 teaspoon vanilla
45 ml dark rum
100 gram fresh fruit
Arrived in Romania we get acquainted with the Savarin, a rum cake akin to the French Baba au rhum. Savarin are individual cakes soaked in rum syrup (The Romanians let the cakes soak overnight) and served with whipped cream and fresh or dried fruit, we opt for fresh strawberries. To let the mini monsters enjoy the delicious Savarin as well we split the syrup in half and replace the rum with vanilla extract for them.
How to make Savarin
Weigh 100g sugar from the required 300g, pour it into a pan.
Let 100g sugar melt light brown without stirring, swirl the pan occasionally.
Turn off the heat, let the remaining sugar melt in it and add the water.
Divide the sugar syrup over two bowls and let it cool completely
Squeeze and grate the orange and the lemon.
Mix flour, butter, yeast, honey and fruit zest and juice together.
Turn the mixer on medium speed and mix the dough together.
Break the eggs, add them one by one, dough turns to batter.
When all eggs are incorporated the batter should be thin, smooth and shiny.
Grease the molds, dust them with flour then tap to remove the excess flour.
Place the molds half filled with batter in a warm spot to rise.
Preheat the oven to 170°C
When risen place the molds into the middle of the oven.
Bake the cakes golden brown in 20-25 minutes.
Allow them to cool in the mold on a wire rack.
Place 2 cakes into a bowl and pour on the vanilla syrup.
The other 2 cakes are placed in the syrup with rum.
Let the cakes soak for an hour, then drain them.
Beat the double cream stiff to pipe on the cakes.
Pipe a dollop of cream on the cake and decorate with a strawberry.
Serve the Savarin cakes with tea and some extra strawberries.
Bucurati-va de masa!