King's Cake with Almonds and Candied Citrus Zest

In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over milk and set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, eggs, 8 tablespoons of the butter, salt and vanilla and almond extracts until frothy.

Add yeast mixture and whisk until well combined.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 1/4 cups of the toasted almonds.

Begin to work flour into egg mixture 1 cup at a time, until a wet dough is formed (amount of flour used will depend on size of eggs and humidity of air).

Dough should be slightly sticky, yet firm enough to handle.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly for 5 minutes.

Brush a large clean bowl with 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter, then place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Allow dough to rise until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, peel long strips of zest from lemon and orange.

Take care to remove as little of the white pith as possible.

Cut zest into thin strips, then transfer to a small saucepan.

Add 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 15 minutes.

Strain out zest and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Set zest and citrus syrup aside.

When dough has risen, uncover bowl, punch down dough and let rest for 5 minutes.

Use 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to grease a large piece of parchment paper and your hands.

Turn dough out onto buttered parchment, then use your hands to divide dough into two equal portions and shape into two 18-inch logs.

Twist logs over one another to create a rope, then circle ends together to create a ring and pinch together.

Brush lightly with 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and move rack to center of oven.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Remove from oven and brush with remaining 1 tablespoon butter.

Hide the figurine, if using, by poking it up through the bottom of the cake.

Set aside on rack to cool completely, then brush with reserved citrus syrup and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup toasted almonds and reserved citrus zest.