French word

baba

Pronunciation

IPA/baba/

Meaning

  • masculine nounrum baba

Example

Je voudrais un baba, s'il vous plaît.

I'd like a rum baba, please.

Illustration for baba (rum baba)

More examples

Le pâtissier prépare un baba maison chaque matin.

The pastry chef prepares a homemade baba every morning.

Core concept

A small, airy sponge cake saturated with rum syrup and served as an individual dessert.

Common phrases

  • un baba maison

    a homemade baba

  • un baba au rhum

    a rum baba

Similar words

gâteau: A general term for a sweet cake made by baking sponge or batter.
pâtisserie: A sweet pastry or confection such as a cake or tart.
dessert: A sweet course of food or fruit served at the end of a meal.

Definition in French

Petit gâteau spongieux imbibé de sirop au rhum, souvent servi individuellement en dessert.

Word origin

The French noun baba was borrowed from Polish baba, a traditional name for a cake, and French usage came to associate it with rum syrup.

Usage tips

  • Baba is masculine, so the dessert is un baba, despite its final -a.

Word lists with this word