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1
Thickly butter a 6-8 cup gugelhupf pan (or other decorative tube pan).
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2
Make the sponge: warm the milk over low heat in a small saucepan until it is just lukewarm, about 100u00b0.
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3
Transfer milk to a small bowl; whisk in yeast.
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4
Stir in the flour and cover the bowl with plastic wrap; let the sponge rise until very puffy, about 20 minutes.
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5
Meanwhile, stir together the raisins and rum; let raisins soak in rum while you prepare the dough.
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6
Make the dough: use an electric stand mixer with paddle attachment-beat the butter with the sugar and salt on medium speed until soft and light, about 2-3 minutes.
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7
Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla.
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8
Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating smooth after each addition.
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9
Stop mixer and scrape the sponge into the bowl; beat on lowest speed until incorporated, about 1 minute.
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10
Drain raisins well, reserving the rum; beat the rum into the dough, then beat in the flour.
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11
Beat the dough for 2 minutes on lowest speed, then stop the mixer and let dough rest for 10 minutes.
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12
Beat the dough on medium speed until it is smooth and elastic, about 2 additional minutes.
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13
Decrease speed to lowest and beat in the raisins and the chopped almonds.
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14
Scrape the dough into a buttered bowl and turn it over so that the top is buttered.
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15
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until it just begins to puff, about 20 minutes.
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16
Prepare mold: scatter the sliced almonds all over the buttered inside of the mold, rotating the mold to cover the buttered surface evenly with almonds.
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17
Invert to mold to remove any of the almonds that have not stuck to the butter.
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18
Using a large rubber spatula , carefully scrape the dough into prepared mold-try to avoid disturbing the sliced almonds.
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19
Cover the mold with a towel or piece of buttered plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it is doubled (if using a 6-cup mold, the risen dough should reach the top of the mold; if you are using an 8-cup mold, the risen dough should reach about 1/2 inch short of the top).
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20
About 15 minutes before the gugelhupf is risen, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375u00b0.
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21
Bake the gugelhupf until it is well risen and deep golden, about 40-45 minutes; pick should come out clean.
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22
Cool gugelhupf in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto the rack, remove the mold and cool completely.
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23
Serve: use a sharp serrated knife to cut into slices; storage: keep wrapped in plastic.
