When we think of the sweets of Naples, the first one that comes to mind is the babà: soft, glossy with syrup and fragrant with rum. We've eaten it standing at a pastry shop counter, at the end of lunch and even while strolling around, and every time it has put us in a good mood. Yet its story begins very far from the Bay of Naples.
A Polish king and a cake that was too dry
Tradition credits the idea to Stanisław Leszczyński, the exiled King of Poland who later became Duke of Lorraine. The story goes that he found the kugelhopf, a leavened cake from Alsace, too dry, and decided to soften it by soaking it in fortified wine. The name is said to recall the babka, a Polish leavened cake.
The recipe was perfected by his pastry chef Nicolas Stohrer, who in 1725 followed the king's daughter, bride of Louis XV, to Versailles, and in 1730 opened a pastry shop in Paris. According to tradition, it was one of his descendants who, around 1835, began using rum and gave the cake its modern shape.
Its arrival in Naples
The babà reached Naples in the 19th century, in the wake of French cuisine, which was fashionable at the time in aristocratic households and at the Bourbon court. The first recipes published in the city still included raisins and saffron, which later disappeared from the version we know today.
In France the cake went its own way, while in Naples it became a symbol: you'll find it in every pastry shop, and Neapolitan cuisine now considers it its own. Today the babà is recognised as a traditional agri-food product of Campania.
What makes a good babà
The base is a leavened dough of flour, eggs, butter and sugar, worked for a long time until it becomes elastic. The long rise in the mould and baking in a hot oven create the typical mushroom shape, with the "cap" rising above the rim.
Once baked, the cake is soaked in a syrup of water, sugar and rum, sometimes scented with citrus peel. That's the whole secret: it must be soaked through but not falling apart, and when you squeeze it, it should spring back like a sponge. We recommend tasting the classic version first, without any additions.
Variations to try
Alongside the single-serving babà there's the large ring cake to cut into slices, perfect for family celebrations, and mini babà, just one bite each. Many pastry shops fill it with custard, cream or sour cherries, and some make it with limoncello instead of rum.
We also like it served at the end of a meal with a little fresh fruit, but the most Neapolitan way remains just one: pick it up in your hand, wrapped in a small napkin, and eat it straight away.
Nearby
To discover all the city's sweets and dishes, start with What to eat in Naples and Typical Neapolitan dishes. If you still have room, compare the babà with The Neapolitan sfogliatella and, at Easter, with The Neapolitan pastiera. You'll find everything you need to plan your trip in Naples and its surroundings.
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