Stage 1 – Prepare your Cake Dough

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and set aside a pre-oiled baking dish
2. Start by taking a small bowl and sprinkling your dry active yeast over your 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, but do not stir! Simply let the yeast sit and bubble
3. In a large mixing bowl, add your raisins, coconut sugar and butter. Once added in, pour in your cup of boiling water over all three ingredients
4. Take a spoon and mix the boiling around to mix the ingredients together and to ensure the butter fully melts
5. Once fully melted, pour your lukewarm water and activated yeast into the mixture as well. Do check, however, that the water temperature in the main mixing bowl has reached closer to room temperature. If it hasn’t wait a minute before pouring in the yeast since you don’t want to kill the yeast.
6. Take a whisk and slowly whisk everything in your mixing bowl together. As you whisk, begin adding bits of your flour in and mixing well in
7. Continue to add and whisk until your flour is well incorporated into what’s slowly becoming your cake dough
8. Eventually, the dough will start to thicken as most of the flour has gone in. At this point, cover the dough for 30 minutes to let the dough rise
9. After 30 minutes, use your hands and knead your dough for at least 3 minutes. You should feel a dough that is fairly easy to knead (without sticking to your hands)
10. After kneading, form your dough into the shape of a circle and place into the oven. Let the cake bake for 25 minutes

Stage 2 – Finishing Touches to Cake and Prepare Coffee

1. Just before your cake is finished baking, pre-mix your confectioner sugar and ground cardamom together if you happen to be finishing it with the sweet garnish
2. Take your cake out of the oven and, while still hot, generously brush the top of the cake with your tablespoon of milk. Don’t be bashful here… give the top of the cake a nice coating of the milk
3. While the milk is still wet on the top of the cake, sprinkle your mixture of cardamom and confectioner sugar then set aside and let cool while you prepare the coffee
4. Make your coffee and put into a large enough teapot to allow you to mix around
5. With your coffee made, add your whiskey, Kahlua and Grand Marnier into the coffee pot. Mix around well
6. To serve, take a piece of your fresh coffee cake, pour yourself a nice cup of this delicious coffee and (if you feel so inclined) a nice dollop of fresh whipped cream! Enjoy!