Cherry-Almond Coffee Cake (ATK)

By hmp13

Ingredients

• 2 (15 ounce) cans tart (sour) cherries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons butter, melted, plus 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 (7 ounce) tube almond paste, crumbled into small pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation

Step 1

Bring cherries (with their syrup), sugar, and cornstarch to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Mash cherries with potato masher and cook until thick and jamlike, about 25 minutes (mixture should measure 2 cups). Refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.

Whisk 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Using fork, stir in melted butter until mixture forms pea-size pieces. Stir in ½ cup almond paste; set aside.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, and remaining salt in medium bowl. Whisk sour cream, eggs and extracts together in small bowl. With electric mixer on medium high speed, beat remaining almond paste, remaining sugar, and softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sour cream mixture and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined, about 1 minute. Return speed to medium high and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.

Scrape batter into prepared dish. Dollop cooled cherry mixture over batter and spread into even layer. Sprinkle streusel over cherry mixture and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake completely, about 2 hours.

Combine sugar and extract with 2 tablespoons water. Drizzle over cake. Serve. (Cake can be kept at room temperature, covered in plastic wrap, for 3 days.)