Tropical Babas With Whipped Coconut Cream

Babas are delightfully airy French yeasted cakes that are drenched in boozy sugar syrup. This recipe takes the classic dessert into tropical territory with a sauce made from fresh pineapple and good aged dark rum and big dollops of whipped coconut cream to finish. Be sure to get your coconut cream in the freezer first thing. The colder it is, the easier it is to scoop out just the cream top, which will naturally firm up and separate from the small amount of coconut water at the bottom of the can. The coconut water can dilute the cream, making it difficult to whip to the desired texture. —Christian Reynoso