Strawberry Cream Brunch Cake

This is one of my favorite coffee cakes. It comes from one of those little recipe books that always tempt me when I am standing in the grocery check out line - "Weekend Breakfast & Brunch" from Gold Medal flour. It's easy, a little fussy, and always tastes amazing! (I use lowfat sour cream to feel less guilty about all the yummy ingredients.) I think you could easily substitute different flavored jams for the strawberry preserves - blueberry or cherry would work nicely!


Strawberry Cream Brunch Cake

2 1/4 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 almond extract
1 egg
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10 inch springform pan and lightly flour.

2. Make filling: combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and one egg. Set aside.

3. Mix the 2 1/4 cups of flour with 3/4 cup of sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup of the crumbs for the topping. Then stir the baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the remaining crumbs. Blend in the sour cream, almond extract, and egg to make a thick batter.

4. Spread the batter over the bottom of the pan and 2 inches up the side, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the cream cheese filling over top of the batter.

5. Spoon the strawberry preserves over top of the filling. (No need to measure extactly - just make sure the that filling is fairly well covered with the jam.) Mix the reserved crumb mixture with the almonds and sprinkle over top of the preserves.

6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes and then remove the side of the springform pan. Serve warm or cool.

Makes 16 servings.