Active Time

　　30 minutes

　　Total Time

　　4 hours

　　Though it originated in Austria, this sweet raisin-filled yeast bread has become a specialty of the Alsace region of France, where it is often served for breakfast or brunch. It's traditionally baked in a tall, decorative tube pan, which gives the cake its characteristic angled and ridged pattern.

　　Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 4 hr

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 to 10 dessert or snack servings

　　1½ tsp. active dry yeast (less than 1 envelope)

　　2 Tbsp. warm water (105–115°F)

　　1 cup (227g) whole milk

　　7 Tbsp. (95g) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened

　　6 Tbsp. (73g) granulated sugar

　　3¾ cups (450g) all-purpose flour

　　1 tsp. salt

　　2 large eggs

　　1½ cups (255g) golden raisins

　　1 tsp. finely grated fresh orange or lemon zest

　　20 (0.5 oz.) whole blanched almonds 

　　1 Tbsp. confectioners sugar

　　Special equipment: a standing electric mixer with paddle attachment; an 11-cup kugelhopf mold (9 1/2 inches in diameter) or an 11- to 12-cup bundt pan

　　One 11-cup kugelhopf mold (9½ inches in diameter) or an 11- to 12-cup bundt pan

　　

Step 1

Stir together yeast and water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

　　

Step 2

Heat milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to 115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.

　　

Step 3

Sift together flour and salt into bowl of standing mixer. Make a well in flour and add yeast mixture. Add warm milk in a slow stream, mixing at low speed with paddle attachment. Increase speed to medium and beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in raisins and zest. Continue to beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.)

　　

Step 4

Butter kugelhopf mold with remaining tablespoon butter. Put 1 almond in each depression in bottom of mold (the almonds are only decorative; you can skip them altogether if your mold has no depressions), then scrape spoonfuls of dough evenly into mold (dough will be very elastic). Cover top of mold with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until it fills pan, about 2 hours.

　　

Step 5

Preheat oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 6

Remove towel from kugelhopf and gently peel off plastic wrap. Bake kugelhopf in middle of oven 15 minutes, then loosely cover mold with foil and continue to bake until golden and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert cake onto a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners sugar.

　　Cooks' note:

　　Kugelhopf is best eaten the same day it's made; however, leftovers are delicious toasted. Use a light-colored metal pan. Because they retain more heat, dark metal pans, including nonstick, will likely make your baked goods darker and decrease the cooking times.