Ingredients
For the dough
400 grams flour
100 grams butter
5 eggs
3 teaspoons of fast-rising dried yeast
1/2 cup of warm milk and 1 teaspoon sugar to proof the yeast
80 grams sugar
A pinch of salt
1 packet of powdered vanilla
For the rum mixture
1/2 litre of water
200 grams of sugar
1 cup rum
Zest of 1 lemon
Directions
To make the cake:
o Add a teaspoon of sugar to the milk. Warm it a little (Not too hot) and then add yeast. Proof it (takes about 10 minutes, if it bubbles then it is good enough).
o Mix flour with powdered vanilla, and pinch of salt.
o Beat eggs. Add butter.
o Incorporate dry ingredients of the dough with the wet ones and knead until it is a malleable dough.
o Shape the dough into a ball and place in a container. Cover the container with a cloth. Let it rest for about 20 minutes (or until it rises).
o Grease and flour the pan that will be used to bake the cake in (One can use a tube pan or a regular cake pan, but a tube pan works best for this style of cake).
o Place the risen dough in the greased baking pan and cover. Let the dough rise for about another 20 minutes.
o Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
o Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the cake is ready (the crust should be a golden brown). P.S. Do not open the oven while it is cooking or the cake may drop.
To make the rum mixture:
o Warm up water.
o Add sugar. Stir.
o Add grated lemon zest.
o Add rum.
o Cook for a few minutes. Cool.
o Place 3/4 mixture of the rum mixture in one container, and the remainder in another container.
To flavor the cake:
o Remove the cake from the baking pan and place on platter.
o Keeping in mind that one will make about 8 holes on the top of the cake, make the first hole with the special baking rod made for this task (If one does not have this rod, one can use a thick toothpick or bamboo stick).
o Fill the first hole with some rum mixture (from the larger container).
o Repeat the process until 3/4 of the rum mixture is used up.
o Drizzle the remaining 1/4 the rum mixture all over the cake -- on the top, sides and in the center.
o Cool.
o Keep in fridge until needed.
Notes
The baba rum-flavored cake was made by Marisa Pastore. The recipe was given to her by Lina DiSanto. The photo was taken by Mary Melfi. | 
