Austrian gugelhupf

1/2 c  Milk, warm (110 F to 115F)
      2    yeast, active dry packages
      4 c  flour, all-purpose
      1 c  butter or margerine
    1/2 c  Sugar
      4    Eggs
      1 c  Light raisins
    1/4 c  Currants
      2 ts Orange peel, finely shredded
    1/2 ts Salt
    1/4 c  Almonds, whole blanched
 
  Place warm milk in a medium mixing bowl.  Sprinkle yeast over milk. Add 1/2
  cup flour.  Beat with a large spoon about 1 minute.  Cover and let rise in
  a warm place until almost double (40 minutes).
  In a large mixer bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the
  eggs, one at a time, mixing well after adding each.  Stir in yeast mixture,
  raisins, currants, orange peel and salt.  Gradually stir in the remaining
  3-1/2 cups flour.
  Lightly grease and flour a 9-cup gugelhupf mold or 12-cup fluted tube pan.
  Arange whole almonds in a design in the bottom of the pan. Carefully spoon
  batter over almonds.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost
  double (about 1 hour).  Bake in a 350 F oven about 40 minutes. If necessary
  cover top with foil the last 15 minutes of baking time to prevent over
  browning.  Remove from pan.  Cool on wire rack. Before serving, sift
  powdered sugar over cake.