Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) package moist white cake mix
• 3 eggs (or as called for by your cake mix)
• 1/3 cup oil (or as called for by your cake mix)
• 1 1/3 cups water (or as called for by your cake mix)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup golden raisin
• 1/4 cup rum or 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 cup chopped lightly toasted blanched almond
• 1 tablespoon margarine, softened or 1 tablespoon cooking spray, with flour
• 3 tablespoons finely ground blanched almonds
• 16 whole lightly toasted blanched almonds
• flour
• powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Soak the raisins in the rum; let stand till plump. Using the butter coat the inside of a Gugelhupf pan or a tube cake pan and sprinkle with the finely ground Almonds OR spray with the cooking spray then sprinkle with the almonds (I find this works best for releasing the finished cake); place a whole almond in each large section of the pan.

2. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions but leave out 1 teaspoons of water and replace it with the Almond Extract. Drain and pat dry the raisins and sprinkle with a small amount of flour. Add the raisins. lemon zest and chopped almonds to the batter and gently fold inches Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake according to package directions. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle the cooled cake with powdered sugar and serve.