This is a classic combination of strawberries and Italian brioche cake soaked in a rich boozy dark rum syrup.

Preparation List for Rum Baba with Macerated Strawberries

Servings: 10-12
Active Time：45 min
Inactive Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 16 tablespoons(230g) unsalted butter cut into small cubes (approximate size shown below) + more for greasing
- 3/4 cup(180ml) whole or 2% milk + more for mixing
- 6 eggs
- 2+1/4 teaspoon(7g) instant dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 cups(240g) of all-purpose flour + approximately 4 cups(480g) more flour
- 1+1/2 cup(300g) sugar (for rum syrup) + 2 tablespoons(24g) sugar (for strawberries)
- 1/2 cup(120ml) dark rum
- 1 lb(450g) strawberries, tops removed and sliced
- 1/2 small lemon with rind for zest

Italian Rum Baba Recipe

Make Dough. Warm the 3/4 cup(180ml) whole or 2% milk to about just warm to the touch (90F/32C) and add the 2+1/4 teaspoon(7g) of instant dry yeast to the milk and then add the yeast/milk mixture to the 2 cups(240g) of all-purpose flour in a stand mixer (you can also do all of this by hand on a floured work surface). Use the stand mixer in low speed to mix this into a smooth dough(~5min). It maybe necessary to add a bit more room temperature milk to get a dough ball. Once the dough is smooth, cover it with a towel and let it rise to double the size (should take about 30 minutes to an hour). The left image below shows dough before rising, and the dough on the right has risen.

Add butter and eggs. Preheat oven to 375 F(190C). Add the 6 eggs at room temperature and 16 tbsp(230g)of unsalted butter cubes and turning on the mixer in low speed until these are well combined. This will liquify the dough. Gradually add in flour while the mixer runs. Do this by adding some flour maybe a half cup or so at a time and waiting for it to mix in. Do this until a solid dough forms again (as opposed to the liquid batter). I sometimes need to add another 4 cups(480g) of flour in this process. If doing this by hand, this flour will be worked in gradually to keep the mixture together as the eggs and butter are also worked in. Once the dough is formed again, add it to a 9 inch(20cm) baking dish, cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise again for about 30 minutes. Before rise dough on the left picture and after rise dough on the right.

Bake. Put the dough in the preheated oven and bake it until the whole top turns golden brown (see bottom pictures below). This should take about 35-50 minutes.

Make Rum Syrup. While the cake is baking, make the rum syrup. heat 3/4 cup water in a small sauce pot over low heat and add in the 1+1/2 cups sugar to the water and mix it in until it all dissolves. Simmer the water until it reaches about 230F(110C), the mixture should have a syrupy consistency. Turn the heat off and let it cool a few minutes. Gently whisk the mixture while slowly adding in the 1/2 cup(120ml) of dark rum ( be careful with this mixture it is scaldingly hot and sticks to things). Set aside.

Make Macerated Strawberries. In a large bowl, mix the 1lb(450g) sliced strawberries, 2 tablespoons(24g) of sugar, the juice and zest from the 1/2 lemon. Let this mixture sit covered, the strawberries should start to produce juice as seen on the right image below.

Spoon rum syrup over cake to finish. When the cake is finished baking, remove the cake from the oven and remove it from the baking dish and place it on a large plate. Begin spooning the hot rum syrup over the top of the cake (do this carefully as the syrup may still be quite hot). The goal of this is to get the cake to absorb as much rum syrup as we can. Spoon the rum syrup over the cake until all syrup has been applied to the cake. The syrup that collects on the plate can be re-applied to the top of the cake to increase absorption. Once finished, the glazed cake should look similar to the pictures below.