baba
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun A small, sweet, yeast-leavened cake, often soaked in a rum or brandy syrup. It is typically baked in a cylindrical mold and may contain raisins or currants.
Usage
The word "baba" is used as a countable noun to refer to this specific type of pastry. It is often part of the compound term "rum baba." * Would you like a baba for dessert? * The bakery is famous for its babas soaked in kirsch. * She ordered a rum baba.
Examples
- The classic baba is light and porous, perfect for absorbing syrup.
- We shared a delicious baba filled with pastry cream.
- He prefers his baba with a dollop of whipped cream.
Advanced Usage
- Baba au rhum: The full French name for a rum baba.
- Used metaphorically, though rarely, to describe something soft, spongy, or saturated.
- After the rain, the soil was like a soaked baba.
Variants and Related Words
- Baba au rhum (n.): The most common specific term for this pastry.
- Savarin (n.): A similar yeast cake, typically larger and baked in a ring mold.
Synonyms
- Yeast cake
- Rum cake (when specifying the soaked version)
Notes
"Baba" is a loanword from French, which borrowed it from Polish. It is distinct from the unrelated word "baba" found in some languages as an informal term for "father" or "old woman." In the culinary context, it refers exclusively to the cake.
Noun
- a small cake leavened with yeast