In a large stainless steel bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk.

Stir in 1/4 cup flour.

Cover, and set aside in a warm place to rise until spongy - about 20 minutes.

Coat a 6-cup Kugelhopf pan with baking spray.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter.

Add in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons flour.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.

Whisk butter and egg mixture into the yeast sponge.

Beat in remaining flour to make a thick dough-like batter.

Spoon batter evenly into the prepared mold. Set aside in a draft-free place to rise until dough reaches the top of the mold - about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

While the baba rises, combine remaining cup of sugar with 2 cups water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Add orange zest and allow to cool to room temperature.

Stir in 1/2 cup rum.

Bake baba about 40 minutes, until nicely browned on top.

Remove from oven and unmold.

Place cake in a pie plate and pour syrup over it. Using a pastry brush, brush the top and sides of the cake with the syrup that has accumulated in the pie plate. Not all the syrup will be absorbed.

Transfer cake to a wire rack placed over the pie plate to catch drips.

Strain jam through a mesh sieve into a small saucepan; heat until quite warm.

Brush the jam onto the cooled baba.

Mix cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract; whip until very stiff, then chill.

Just before serving, fill the center of the baba with whipped cream; I piped it in from a pastry bag, but dolloping it on top is just fine.

Decorate around base with glacé fruit.

To serve, slice the cake and drizzle with some of the remaining rum as each portion is plated.