Creamy Coffee Cake

This is delicious for brunch or gatherings.  Add your favorite preserves to make it uniquely yours.

Creamy Coffee Cake
2-1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon extract (use vanilla or something complementary to your preserves)
1 egg
8 oz block softened cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup preserves
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour bottom and sides of 9 or 10" springform pan.  In large bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar.  Using pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture.  To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream, extract and egg.  Beat with mixer until combined.  Spread into prepared pan and up the sides about 1" higher than the bottom creating about 1/4" thickness. 

Beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth.  Spread the cream cheese mixture into the well created in the batter.  Carefully spread the preserves over the cream cheese layer.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining flour and sugar mixture and top with almonds.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes until golden brown.  You may need to cover with tin foil if the almonds are browning sooner than the cake is done.

The above cake was made using local strawberry and lavender preserves. 

YUM!