I only have a few rules for choosing recipes I want to try.
First, it has to be decently easy and not need a bunch of weird kitchen implements. Second, the ingredients need to be something I can find locally and not have to order online. Third, I have to want to eat it.
I feel like that third one goes without saying, but I thought I’d mention it anyway.
This week’s recipe just barely met my criteria, because I had no idea almond paste even existed until I examined the ingredients list. I was able to find it in my local grocery store, so I’m hoping the rest of you can, too. If not, there are also other recipes online to make it yourself.
It also nearly upset my rules because the part of the recipe where you’re supposed to “spread” the batter is not an easy task. This stuff is thick and tough to spread, so I recommend dolloping the batter and filling into the pan before spreading it so you have an easier time.
The recipe’s author said she used her fingers to spread it, but I had more luck with a rubber scraper instead.
I found this recipe on the blog “Curly Girl Kitchen.” You can find the original at https://www.curlygirlkitchen.com/2013/01/almond-cream-cheese-coffee-cake.html. I doubled the almond extract and cinnamon.
Almond Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel Ingredients
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Filling Ingredients
- 8 ounces almond paste
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Batter Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by coating it with cooking spray.
- For the streusel, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, add the cold butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to work it in until it’s nice and crumbly and stir in the almonds. Put in the refrigerator for now.
- For the filling, beat the almond paste, sugar and cream cheese until it’s smooth and set it aside (you’ll add the almonds later).
- For the batter, beat the butter and sugar for about three minutes to get it light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla and almond extract until it’s well combined.
- Beat in the sour cream.
- Once the mixture is smooth, beat in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until everything is just combined.
- Put half of the batter into your prepared springform pan and spread it to an even layer (it’s a thick batter, so this is easier said than done).
- Spoon the cream cheese filling in dollops all over the batter layer and spread it out as best as you can. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of sliced almonds on top of the filling.
- Spoon the remaining batter in dollops on top of the almonds and spread it again.
- Bake the cake for 15 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and top it with the streusel and then bake for another 40 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (don’t stick it all the way down to the filling layer, since that will stay gooey even after baking).
- Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes before removing it from the pan. Let it cool completely and then store in an airtight container if not serving right away. (I kept mine in the fridge.)
While this recipe was a bit more complicated than I often choose, it was totally worth it. The cake was beautiful, and it would be great for breakfast or dessert.
And although it stretched rules one and two, definitely fit rule three, since I managed to eat more than one slice of this cake before it was gone. I guess one out of three ain’t bad.
This piece first appeared in print on May 23, 2019.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
