Tasty Tuesday ~ Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

It was a rainy weekend here, which made the perfect time to bake something yummy and take it to ABF Sunday morning. Remember that we work with a sweet group of newly married couples, and I had a request to post my coffee cake recipe today. I would love to tell you it is an old family recipe I have made many times, so it conjures up memories of legendary mornings with loved ones .... but the real truth is that it came from an LL Bean recipe card that I saved years ago and always wanted to make and never did ... until Saturday afternoon! Now I am thinking of all of those times I could've had this amazing cake to serve to loved ones on rainy or cold mornings ... sorry loved ones. :) But NOW I have it, so give me another chance!

Raspberry cream Cheese Coffee Cake

• 2 1/2 all purpose flour (love things with purpose ;)
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. butter (that's a stick and a half, but it's worth it)
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 3/4 c. sour cream (I added another T for moistness)
• 1 egg
• 1 t. almond extract
• 1/2 - 3/4 c. raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour & sugar and "cut in" the butter until the mix is crumbly. Here's a pic of the pastry cutter I use, but you can also use 2 knives.

Set aside 1 c. of crumbs for topping later. To the big mixture add baking power and soda, salt, sour cream, egg, and extract. Mix well. Spread the batter over the bottom and about 2 inches

up the side of a 9 inch springform pan you have greased and floured (I should do a vlog on this some time ... do you know how?). Make the cheese filling (below) and spread it gently over the crumb base.

Carefully drop the jam in spoonfuls over the cheese mixture and spread it all over, without pressing "down and in."

Add the topping (below) and bake the cake for 45 min or until the crust is golden brown. Cool it on a rack for

15 min before removing the pan sides.

Cheese filling: Softened 8 oz pkg of cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 c. sugar blended well.

Almond topping: Reserved 1 c. of crumbs, 1/2 c. sliced almonds = mix well to sprinkle on top.

Hey, if I make another coffee cake, would you come back tomorrow? ;) I'm starting a series about "VACATION" tomorrow that will take us up to the end of May, and I'd love to have you with me to ramp up for the arrival of the R&R months of June/July/August. Monday we'll even look at the value of resting together (and how to make it work) for Marriage Mondays.

Thanks to Jen for hosting Tasty Tuesday and Lisa for hosting Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!