1. Add the sliced almonds and rum to a small container the night before you want to bake the Stollen. Let the almonds infuse with the alcohol overnight. Also place the marzipan in the freezer overnight, so it’s easier to work with the next day.

2. The next day mix spelt flour, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt in the bowl of a food processor (with dough hooks). Make a well into the flour and crumble the yeast into it. Add the lukewarm milk and mix yeast and milk a bit. Cover the bowl and let the yeast do its work for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, warm the butter a little (e.g. in the microwave) so it’s nice and soft. Roughly grate the marzipan from the freezer.

3. Add the softened butter, ground almonds, egg, almond oil, and the grated marzipan to the bowl and let the machine knead for about 8 minutes. You want a nice and smooth dough. It will be quite soft, but that is ok as long as it comes off the sides of the bowl easily. Add the soaked almonds (including any leftover rum) and knead briefly to incorporate them into the dough. Cover the bowl again and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and dust it with a little flour. Place the dough on the paper and pull it or roll it out into a rectangle with a size of about 30x20cm (12×8 inches). Then roll up this rectangle from the shorter side. Stop in the middle and press both sides slightly together to create the typical Stollen shape – higher on one side than the other. Place a large strip of aluminum foil around the dough to keep it in shape during the bake. Since the dough is quite soft it will try to go everywhere without containment ;) If you got a Stollen baking pan* you can use it here, of course. Bake the Stollen in the lower third of the oven for about 40-50 minutes.

5. While the Stollen is baking, melt the butter for the coating. The Stollen is done when it has a nice golden brown color and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. Remove it from the oven and immediately brush it with the melted butter and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. I normally do this several times to get a nice and thick coating. Let the Stollen cool down completely on a cooling rack, then wrap in aluminum foil and let it ripen in an airtight container or plastic bag for about 2-3 days. Sprinkle again with a little powdered sugar before cutting and serving.