Cherry and Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am always on the prowl for dishes that work well for brunch. It is my favorite way to entertain, and because we have so much repeat company, I make a conscious effort to avoid serving the same things over and over again. That means I'm open to testing new recipes when I come across them, and when a search came up with this coffee cake, I was more than ready to give it a try. The recipe for the cake was an award winner in a contest held by Country Woman magazine, and, while it was a bit more involved than many of their other breakfast pastries, it sounded delicious and immediately moved to my must-try list. The recipe is straight forward and easy to follow, but I have a few tips to share with those of you who decide to give it a try. If at all possible, use a 10-inch springform pan to bake the cake. The bake-time given in the recipe should be viewed as a suggestion rather than a rule. The first time I baked the cake, I used a 9-inch pan and I found the time to be way off. The edges of the cake were overdone before the center of the cake was set. The larger pan helped resolve the issue, but both versions of the cake had a center that fell slightly as it cooled. The cake batter is not easy to work with. It is damp and sticky and will resist attempts to build sides that are one inch high. For best results, keep your hands damp when you do this, or use the back of a cold spoon to push it into place. I also advise making the cake the night before you plan to serve it. It will be impossible to slice if the cheese layer is not well-chilled. These are all annoyances, but the finished cake is delicious and worth the aggravation.  I hope you will give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Cherry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home's Country Woman Magazine

Ingredients:

Cake

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract

Filling

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions:
1)In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup crumb mixture. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to remaining crumb mixture. Stir in egg, sour cream and almond extract until blended. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan with removable bottom.
2) For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar for 1 minute. Add egg; beat just until combined. Spread over crust. Carefully top with pie filling. Sprinkle with almonds and reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until center is set. Cool on a wire rack. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Chill well before serving. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 8-10 servings.

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