Cherry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Kitchen Tested 
- Yield 9 servings
- Prep 30 mins
- Cook 50 mins
Cherries, almonds, and cream cheese combine for a killer cake that's ideal for dessert or a coffee-klatsch.
To use dried cherries in place of fresh, plump an equal amount in hot water first for 15 minutes and drain before mixing into the batter.
Ingredients
- Streusel:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
- Cream Cheese:
- 4 ounces light cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Cake:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
- 2 cups pitted cherries (about 10 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
- To prepare the streusel, combine flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until crumbly. Stir in almonds.
- To prepare the cream cheese, combine cream cheese and granulated sugar; stir until smooth.
- To prepare the cake, beat butter, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla and almond extracts until evenly blended. Turn to low speed, add flour, baking powder and salt alternately with milk; beat until blended. Pour into prepared pan. Top with small spoonfuls of cheese mixture. Top with cherries and sprinkle with streusel.
- Bake 50 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.
Recipe by Jean Kressy.
