Cream Cheese Almond Coffee Cake

Description: An adopted recipe, I have made this ahead when having company over for and easy breakfast. Original Intro: A great moist coffee cake.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
• 3/4 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3/8 cup sliced almonds

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray a 9 x 13 cake pan.
3. Cream butter, sugar and cream cheese very well until smooth.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down as needed add vanilla and mix inches.
5. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with milk.
6. Stir in cherries.
7. Spread into cake pan, smooth top Mix topping ingredients (excluding almonds) together.
8. Sprinkle almonds then topping over batter.
9. Press lightly.
10. Bake until tests done.