Rum baba, baba au rhum, babba al rum, baba al rhum - the influence of this cake soaked in rum has spread so far that the Poles, French, Turks and Italians all have their own versions.
The Neapolitans, in particular, have embraced the baba and made it their own. They even have a phrase, Si nu' babbà, which is used to describe a kind or very skilled person or well-made, objects.
The cake is said to have emerged from the royal palace during the reign of King Ferdinand IV of Naples. His wife, Maria Carolina of Austria, was sister of Marie Antoinette (Maria Antonia), and the two were known to be bitter rivals. Or at least Maria Carolina was said to be jealous of Marie Antoinette.
After Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI and moved to France, Maria Carolina is said to have sent emissaries there to make sure she didn't miss out on whatever Marie was having.
She brought the baba back to Naples, and Italian chefs have since made it their own.
But Marie Antoinette's palace was not the origin of the baba. In fact, some say it wasn't invented in France at all. The Polish king Stanislaw Leszczynski is often cited as the inspiration for the pastry.