FILLING:

• 12 ounces frozen raspberries
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

CAKE:

• 2 envelopes (4 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup water ((warmed to 105 to 115 degrees F))
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 5 1/2 to 6 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, (at room temperature)
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt

GLAZE:

• 3 cups powdered sugar, (sifted (divided))
• 9 teaspoons water ((divided))
• 3 teaspoons almond extract ((divided))

PREPARE THE FILLING:

1. Place all the filling ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until the raspberries 'melt,' and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. It will thicken a little bit more upon cooling.

PREPARE THE CAKE:

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle. (The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.)

2. Grease 3 cookies sheets. Turn the dough onto parchment paper that has been sprinkled with flour; gently knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (Or you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook to do the kneading for you). Divide the dough into 3 equal parts (should be a little over a pound each). Roll one part into a rectangle, 15×9-inches. Turn the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and peel away the parchment. Spread 1/3 of the raspberry filling in a strip about 2 1/2 inches wide lengthwise down the center of the rectangle. Make cuts in the dough at 1/2-inch intervals on both 15-inch sides almost to the filling. Fold the strips over the filling, overlapping and crossing in the center (crisscross back and forth).

3. Carefully stretch the dough until about 22 inches long; curve one end to form top of cane. The dough is very forgiving and easy to work with, so just gently move it around to get the look that you want.

4. Repeat the preparations with the 2 remaining balls of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about an hour (or until double). The dough is ready if an indentation remains when touched.

5. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake 13 to 17 minutes (or until lightly browned and slightly firm to touch).

PREPARE THE GLAZE:

1. Prepare 1 recipe of glaze at a time… whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 3 teaspoons water and 1 teaspoon extract and pour into a small zip baggie. Snip off a corner and squeeze to drizzle the glaze onto one of the warm cakes. Follow the design of the weave for the best look.

2. Let the glaze set for at least half an hour. Wrap a festive bow around the longer part of the cake. Ready to serve!

• *If your frozen raspberries are not sweetened, toss them with 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar.
• *Make ahead: These cakes can be partially prepared the night before. Prepare until the point just before you let them rise. Cover the cookie sheets well with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Unwrap in the morning, let them sit at room temperature for about a half hour and then cover and continue with the recipe… let rise, etc.
• *To simulate a warm place to rise, turn your oven on to 500 degrees F. for one minute. Turn on the oven light too. Turn off the heat after a minute and place your cake in the slightly warmed oven for rising. Don’t forget to turn the oven off!