Kugelhopf

An Alsation legend says that when the Three Magis returned from Bethlehen, a pastry chef by the name of Kugel, who was from the Alsatian village of Ribeauville, received them. To thank him, the Magis made a cake in a special mold, and called it Kugelhopf. Today this Alsatian cake is still made in that special earthen mold, though sometimes nowadays, the mold is made of stainless steel.
Traditionally, Kugelhopf is eaten for breakfast, or at afternoon tea, or for dessert after Sunday dinner.

1/2 cup raisins (white or black)
2 tablespoons kirsch (or hot water)
1/2 ounce fresh yeast (or 2 envelopes of dry yeast)
1 cup milk, lukewarm
2 tablespoons sugar
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 pound all-purpose flour, sifted
1 large egg (or 2 small eggs)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus butter for buttering the mold
8-10 almonds, shelled, inner skins removed
confectioners' sugar

1. In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the kirsche (or hot water). Set aside.
2. Put the yeast, 1/2 cup of the mil, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the salt, and 2 tablespoons of the flour in another bowl. Work these ingredients together with your fingertips until they form a soft paste. Cover the bowl with a cloth, and let this paste rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume---about 15-20 minutes.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining milk and sugar, and the egg (or eggs). Add the remaining flour, and knead these ingredients together---at first with the fingertips, and then, when a paste has been formed, by picking up the entire batch of paste, and smacking it vigorously down onto a work surface until it is smooth. The process takes about 5-6 minutes.
4. Work the 7 tablespoons of butter into the dough, and resume picking it up and smacking it down onto the work surface for about 4 more minutes---it should be very smooth and still soft.
5. Add to this dough the yeast mixture prepared in Step 2, and work the two together, again by repeatedly picking up the dough and smacking it down onto a work surface until smooth---about 2-3 minutes.
6. Drain the reserved raisins of any remaining liquid (there should be very little), and mix the raisins into the dough until they are evenly distributed.
7. Butter well an 8-cup Kugelhopf mold. Put an almond in each groove of the mold. Form the dough into a roll 12 inches long, bend it into a circle, and set it in the mold. Put the mold in a warm place, cover it with a cloth, and let the dough rise to the top of the mold---about 40 minutes to 1 hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 350.
Put the mold in the preheated oven, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Note: When the Kugelhopf is ready, it sounds hollow when tapped with the finger. At this point, a needle inserted in the cake will come out dry.
10. Let the cake cool for about 4 minutes. Then invert it onto a wire rack. Let it cool for at least another 2 hours at room temperature. Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar before serving.