Crumble the fresh yeast into the lukewarm milk and stir until dissolved. Let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly foamy.

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix briefly on low to combine.

Add the yeast mixture and beaten eggs to the flour. Mix on medium speed for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer running on medium-low, add the room-temperature butter one or two cubes at a time. Wait until each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. This takes about 8-10 minutes total. The finished dough will be soft, slightly sticky, and glossy.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Grease 12 individual babà molds (7 cm diameter) with softened butter. Lightly flour them and tap out the excess.

Lightly flour your hands and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 45 g each. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place one in each mold, smooth side up. The dough should fill each mold about halfway.

Cover the molds loosely with a clean kitchen towel and leave to proof at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until the dough domes above the rim of each mold and looks puffy.

Heat the oven to 200 C / 390 F, conventional setting.

Place the molds on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the babà are deep golden brown on top and pulling slightly away from the sides of the molds. A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.

Turn the babà out onto a wire rack immediately. Let them cool completely, at least 1 hour, before soaking.

Combine the water, sugar, and orange peel strips in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a gentle simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Add the rum and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Discard the orange peel. Let the syrup cool to around 60-65 C / 140-150 F before soaking - warm but not boiling.

Place 2-3 cooled babà at a time into the warm syrup. Press them gently and turn each one twice so all sides absorb the liquid. The babà should feel noticeably heavier and bounce back slowly when pressed. Soak each babà for about 2-3 minutes.

Transfer soaked babà to a rimmed tray or dish to catch excess syrup. Repeat with the remaining cakes.

Warm the apricot jam and water together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until combined. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.

Brush each soaked babà with the warm apricot glaze while still slightly warm. Set aside on a rack to let the glaze set, about 15 minutes.

Refrigerate the glazed babà for at least 1 hour before serving.

Whip the cold cream with the icing sugar until it holds soft peaks. Remove babà from the fridge 20 minutes before serving.

Plate each babà with a generous spoonful of whipped cream alongside. Add fresh strawberries or figs if you like.