Babba'

Naples is a city of unexpected art forms. The Neapolitan pizza is perfection. The graceful and exuberant language of gestures is on display at every street market, restaurant and café. And anyone who has experienced the thrill and challenge of driving in this beautiful city knows that even driving is an art form. (Finding a parking spot can take a lifetime of practice!) But there’s another local art form you can’t miss when you’re walking through the lively and colorful streets of Naples – I Dolci (the desserts).

With a pasticceria or café located around just about every corner, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to experience the Neapolitan’s proudly prepared cakes, pastries and desserts. The problem, however, is knowing where to start! You simply must try the heavenly Sfogliatella. The pastry, with its crisp, flaky shell and sweet ricotta cheese filling, is undeniably a Neapolitan classic. But the sfogliatella isn’t the only Neapolitan sweet treat that you should try when you visit Napoli, though. Babà, a rum-soaked sponge cake with a funny name that you’ll find in all sorts of tempting shapes and sizes, is sure to be a delicious experience.

The origin of the babà takes us back to the 18th century when Naples was ruled by the Bourbon King Ferdinand IV and his wife Maria Carolina, the sister of Queen Marie Antoinette of France. The French influence on the regional cuisine of Naples—at least that of the elite and wealthy classes—was pronounced during this period as French chefs became de rigueur. One of the French-influenced desserts to show up on Neapolitan tables was the babà.

The French influence on the regional cuisine of Naples—at least that of the elite and wealthy classes—was pronounced during this period as French chefs became de rigueur. One of the French-influenced desserts to show up on Neapolitan tables was the babà.

However, the story of this little Neapolitan cake is not over yet. First we have to travel from Paris to the court of King Stanislaw Leszczyński of Poland, where the rum-soaked cake was supposedly born. According to Neapolitan tradition, the cake was created when the King poured some rum over the top of a Polish cake he found too dry. The King’s new cake became an immediate success in Paris when Stanislaw’s daughter, Marie, married King Louis XV of France. From there the dessert made its way to Naples where it received a few finishing touches and became the Babà Napoletano (or Babà alla Napoletana) that we know today.

…Phew – that’s a lot of traveling for one little cake!

Traditionally the babà is baked in a round tin similar to a bundt pan, and before being served is doused with a mixture of water, sugar and rum. This is also the easiest and most common way the babà is made at home. In a pasticceria, you’ll also find babà in their traditional mushroom or chef’s hat shape. These are baked in individual tins and are soaked in the rum mixture after they cool from the oven.

And just when you think it can’t get any better, the Neapolitans know how to improve on perfection. For those who find the light, traditional babà not quite rich enough, be sure to try the cream or chocolate filled variations. Sometimes the babà is even covered with an apricot glaze and garnished with fresh fruit or cream, so keep your eye out for one of these over-the-top babà variations!

Traditions keep developing here in Campania, and another variation of the babà dessert has developed on the island of Capri and on the Amalfi Coast, where it is now common to soak the babà in the strong and flavorful limoncello liqueur produced in the area. A good idea is always a good idea, and the babà al limoncello has quickly become popular throughout Campania and Italy.

Now that you have two pastries to taste on your “must eat” list for Naples, stop by next week as we sample the Zeppole di San Giuseppe – yet another traditional Neapolitan dessert.

Would you like to walk the ancient streets of Naples as your ancestors once did – and even have the chance to uncover living relatives in the process? Contact us and find out how italyMONDO! can help you research your Italian family tree or create a vacation of a lifetime for you and your family!

Photo Courtesy of “emiana” at Flickr