Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and add honey and oil. Stir until honey is dissolved.

Gradually add 1/2 cup of the flour, beating until the mixture is completely smooth. Cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, add the yeast to the water, stir, and let stand about 5 minutes. Add the milk and flour mixture to the yeast and stir until smooth. Cover with a linen or cotton towel and let rise in warm-draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Beat the egg yolks and the sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add the nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla, Cointreau, brandy, orange zest and orange juice. Beat a until blended.

Scrape the seeds from the beans. Add them to the yolk mixture along with the butter, raisins, almonds and almond extract.

With a clean dry beater, beat the egg white until it forms soft peaks and fold it into the egg yolk mixture.

Combine the yolk mixture with the sponge that has risen-mix gently but thoroughly. With an electric mixer, gradually beat in remaining flour until the dough is smooth and loose. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, let rise in warm-draft-free place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

Cut two 1-1/2-inch strips of parchment paper, each long enough to be molded down one side, then across the bottom and up the opposite side of a clean 2-pound coffee can. The ends should extend above the top of the can. Butter the tin and the strips, then set them into the tin crisscross to each other. Fold the ends over the outside of the tin.

Punch the dough down and place in the tin. Let rise again, covered, until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the cake until golden brown and tester comes out clean-about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then carefully lift the cake from the can by pulling up on the ends of the strips of parchment. Remove parchment and cool on a wire rack.

Mm nw