Babà
Covers pizzerias, restaurants, bars, Neapolitan dishes, experiences and events, with menu and ticket prices checked on the date shown.
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The babà is a mushroom-shaped yeast cake soaked in rum syrup until it is wet all the way through. It is light, sweet and boozy, and in Naples it is sold in every pastry shop and most bars, from single portions to ring cakes for Sunday lunch.
At the counter it is still cheap. SfogliateLab lists its large classic babà at €2.00 on its shop pages checked September 30, 2026. At a table it costs more: Umberto, a restaurant in Chiaia, charges €5.50 for babà with whipped cream on its June 2026 menu. Scaturchio's online shop sells a gift box of ten for €24.
At a glance
- What it is
- A light yeast dough, baked in a tall mold, then soaked in sugar syrup with rum.
- Price in 2026
- €2 for a large classic babà at SfogliateLab; €5.50 with cream at Umberto in Chiaia (June 2026 menu); gift box of ten €24 from Scaturchio's online shop.
- Alcohol
- Yes, rum. Not all of it cooks off, because the syrup is added after baking. Ask for a version without rum if you need one; not every shop makes it.
- Big format
- Whole ring cakes (torta babà) cost €26–€30 at SfogliateLab and €30 at Scaturchio.
- To take home
- Babà in jars keep for travel: SfogliateLab sells them at €12 and €18.
In this guide
Where to eat one
- Scaturchio, Piazza San Domenico Maggiore 19, on Spaccanapoli. The shop's own site leads with its babà; its online shop sells the "Babà Vesuvio" cake (about 1 kg, 8–10 portions) for €30.
- SfogliateLab, Piazza Garibaldi 82 and Piazza Dante 80: €2 for a large babà, €26 per kg for mini ones, and the Sfogliacampanella (€2.50), a babà baked inside a sfogliatella shell.
- At a restaurant, babà often comes with cream or custard. Umberto's is €5.50; its "Tiramisud" layers babà with Sorrento lemon cream for €6.
Sizes and what they cost
| Format | Price | Where, checked September 30, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Single large babà | €2.00 | SfogliateLab shop |
| With whipped cream, at a table | €5.50 | Umberto, June 2026 menu |
| Box of 10 (shipped) | €24 | Scaturchio online shop |
| Ring cake (torta babà) | €26–€30 | SfogliateLab; €30 at Scaturchio |
| In a jar, small or large | €12 or €18 | SfogliateLab |
| Mini babà | €26 per kg | SfogliateLab |
Online prices exclude delivery: SfogliateLab charges €20 for its dedicated pastry courier, Scaturchio ships free in Italy over €99.
How to eat it without a mess
- Use a fork or a paper napkin; a good babà drips syrup when squeezed.
- Have it after lunch rather than at breakfast. Mornings belong to the sfogliatella and the espresso.
- Jars are the only version that survives a suitcase. For flights, check your airline's liquid rules: the syrup counts.
How to tell a good one
- Soaked through. Cut it in half: the center should be as wet as the outside. A dry core means it was soaked in a hurry.
- Springy, not soggy. Press it and it should bounce back, not collapse into syrup.
- Glossy top. Many shops glaze the dome. A dull, cracked top usually means it has sat out for a day.
- Rum you can smell, not rum that burns. If the first taste is harsh alcohol, the syrup was too strong.
Babà sits with pastiera and sfogliatella as one of the three pastries every Naples shop is judged on. Our pastiera page covers the Easter one.
Tickets and tours you can book
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a babà in Naples?
About €2 at a pastry-shop counter (SfogliateLab lists €2.00, September 2026). With cream at a restaurant table, €5.50 at Umberto in Chiaia.
Does babà contain alcohol?
Yes. The cake is soaked in rum syrup after baking, so the alcohol is not cooked off. Some shops make versions with other syrups; ask.
Can I take babà home on a plane?
Babà in jars travel best. Liquid rules for hand luggage apply to the syrup, so put jars in checked bags.
Where is the most famous babà in Naples?
Scaturchio on Piazza San Domenico Maggiore is the name most often cited, and its shop sells it in several formats. Any good pastry shop makes a fair one.
Further reading
Official sources
- SfogliateLab - online shop (official) – Babà classico grande €2.00; jars €12 and €18; mini €26 per kg; torta babà €26-€30; delivery €20; checked September 30, 2026
- Scaturchio - online shop (official) – Babà gift box of 10 €24; Babà Vesuvio about 1 kg, 8-10 portions, €30; free shipping in Italy over €99
- Scaturchio - home (official) – Babà, sfogliatelle, pastiere and Ministeriale; historic shop on Piazza San Domenico Maggiore
- Umberto - menu June 2026 (official PDF) – Babà napoletano with cream €5.50; Tiramisud €6
