Baba Au Cherry Rhum

steps

1. Coat a non-stick decorative bundt pan with spray oil. Set aside.
2. Combine sour cherries and cherry rum in a shallow bowl, tossing cherries in liquid to coat. Let stand for one hour, stirring occasionally to let rum soak into sour cherries.
3. In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment add the sugar and dry yeast. Place a small saucepan over low to medium heat and gently warm milk to 110 degrees using a digital thermometer. Pour warmed milk over sugar and yeast and stir to combine. Let it sit for 5 minutes so yeast can bloom.
4. With mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time until combined, then add the flour, salt, and butter and mix until combined. Change the speed of the mixer to medium speed and beat for 6 minutes until a smooth sticky dough develops. Remove paddle attachment, scrape dough from paddle into the bowl. Scrape down the sides of mixing bowl so all the dough is in the bowl. Cover mixing bowl with a damp tea towel and let rise for one hour or until doubled in a warm spot in your kitchen.
5. Drain sour cherries using a sieve and retain the liquid. Using a spatula, fold sour cherries into dough, place dough into the bundt pan, and spread evenly with a smooth top. Cover the pan again with a damp tea towel and let rise one hour or until doubled.
6. For cherry rhum soaking sauce, in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat combine sugar, rum, vanilla, and water. Stir the sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and pour into a large measuring cup. Let cool to room temperature.
7. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center comes out clean using a cake tester or toothpick. Let cool for 15 minutes, then invert pan onto a wire cooling rack.
8. Pour all of the cherry rhum soaking sauce slowly over the warm cake to allow the syrup to absorb into the cake. It’s best to have a small sheet pan under the cooling rack to catch the excess liquid.
9. Make the optional plum cherry preserves by combining all ingredients. Pour over cake.
10. Make the whipped cream by using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the cream and vanilla on medium speed until it starts to thicken. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until the cream holds soft peaks.
11. Serve slices of cake with whipped cream.