RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

This morning I decided to make a coffee cake for a meeting.

It really smells good and it also looks good too.

So here's the recipe so that you can make this at home.

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup margarine or butter

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup dairy sour cream

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour the bottom and sides of 9 or 10 inch springform pan.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.  In a large bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar.  Using pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.* Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture.  To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, sour cream, 1 egg, and almond extract; blend well.  Spread batter over bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan.  (Batter should be about 1/4 inch thick on sides.)  In small bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 1egg; blend well.  Pour over batter in plan.  Carefully spoon preserves evenly over cheese filling.  In small bowl, combine 1 cup reserved crumb mixture and sliced almonds.  Sprinkle over top.  Bake at 350F for 45 50 55 minutes or until cream cheese filling is set and crust is deep golden brown.  Cool 15 minutes.  Remove sides of pan.  Serve warm or cool; cut into wedges.  Refrigerate leftovers.

* When I made the crumbs, I used my mixer instead of the pastry blender.  I softened the butter and it turned out fine.  It was much easier to do it this way than using a pastry blender.