Sweet Fruit Cake (Dresden Stollen)

Remove the skin from the almonds and chop them finely

Pierce the citron and orange peel thoroughly

Combine the raisins, citron, orange peel, and almonds in a bowl

Add the rum

Cover and let it rest for a day or two

Place the wheat flour in a bowl

Sift the yeast into the warm milk

Let it rest for a few minutes and add the softened butter and confectioner's sugar

Knead until a smooth dough forms

Cover and let it rise in a protected place for 20 minutes

Add the fruits and rum, and knead well

Cover and let it rise again for another 30 minutes

Knead once more

Shape the dough into an oval shape on a lightly floured surface

The dough should be about 3 cm thick

Use a rolling pin to create a depression in the center of the dough, along its longest side

Fold one half over the other

Place in a buttered pan and let it rise for another 15 minutes

Bake in a hot oven (200°), for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate (170°) and bake for another 70 minutes

If it browns too much, cover with wax paper

Immediately after removing from the oven, brush with melted butter and dust with confectioner's sugar.