Ingredients

• 25 g fresh yeast
• 200 g caster sugar
• 150 ml warm milk
• 1 kg plain flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 230 g butter, melted
• 7 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon each grated orange zest and lemon zest
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
• 100 g flaked almonds
• 30 g sesame seeds

Instructions

• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast with a little sugar in the warm milk. Let it sit until it activates and becomes foamy on the surface (this should take about 5-10 minutes). Then, stir in 3 tablespoons of flour and mix thoroughly to form a smooth batter. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and place it in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until it has noticeably risen and is bubbly.
• Meanwhile, sift the remaining flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the melted butter, 7 large eggs, the remaining sugar, and the grated orange and lemon zests.
• Add the risen yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Knead thoroughly until all the ingredients are well combined and form a smooth, elastic dough, similar to bread dough. The dough should be firm yet elastic.
• Cover the bowl again and return it to a warm spot for about 1.5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Grease a large (26-28 cm) round cake tin, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper as well to prevent sticking.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, gently knead it again to 'punch it down' and release the air. Reserve a small piece of dough for decorating the top of the cake, then transfer the remaining dough into the prepared cake tin.
• Carefully insert a coin into the dough.
• Ensure the dough only fills the tin halfway, allowing plenty of room for it to rise.
• Cover the tin and let it rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size again.
• Brush the surface of the cake with the beaten egg yolk wash. Now, it's time to decorate! You can use the reserved dough to form the numbers of the new year in the center, create a few decorative rosettes, or simply sprinkle the flaked almonds and sesame seeds evenly over the top.
• Optionally, make a few small decorative cuts on the surface using scissors.
• Bake in a preheated oven to Gas Mark 4 / 350°F / 180°C for about 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes, then carefully unmould it and remove the parchment paper.