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1
Preheat the oven to 350F Generously brush a large, shallow baking dish with the softened butter.
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2
Place the cherries in a bowl and add enough rum just to moisten.
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3
Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes.
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4
Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with the melted butter, and toast in the oven, stirring once or twice, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes.
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5
To make the custard, bring the milk and half of the sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan.
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6
Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and remaining half of the sugar in a medium bowl.
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7
Gradually add about one-third of the hot milk mixture to the eggs, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
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8
Add the egg mixture to the remaining hot milk.
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9
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of the spoon.
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10
Remove from the heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve.
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11
Chill the custard in an ice bath until cooled, at least 1 hour.
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12
Stir the orange zest, cinnamon, and salt into the cooled custard.
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13
Drain the cherries and add them to the custard along with the toasted bread cubes.
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14
Let this mixture set until the bread cubes have soaked up the custard and softened.
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15
Ladle the custard mixture into the prepared baking dish.
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16
Bake in a water bath for 65-70 minutes.
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17
Remove the dish from the water bath, wipe down the sides and bottoms of the baking dish, and place on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour.
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18
Serve warm or refrigerate until fully cooled before serving.
