Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

A 20-year favorite: Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake

What does a special day taste like?

For me and my husband, special days have our mouths watering for Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.

I make this yummy masterpiece for Christmas morning, Easter brunch and Father’s Day…hmmm, maybe I should add Flag Day, Labor Day and, of course, National Coffee Cake Day on April 7th. Yes!

Brian was a little appalled that I hadn’t shared the recipe yet. He sincerely believes that it is the best thing I make.

I found this glorious recipe in the 1992 From Portland’s Palate: A Collection of Recipes from the City of Roses. A worthy addition to any cookbook collection…it sure stretched my newlywed cooking skills.

I’ve included some tips and adjustments…I did learn a few things from making this coffee cake for 20 years!

Crust Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups flour (I use half whole wheat and half white)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, chilled
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup sour cream (I use Tillamook “light” sour cream)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp almond extract

Filling Ingredients

  • 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened (No skimping here. Less-fat versions don’t set right)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup raspberry preserves
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease the bottom of a 9 or 10-inch round pan and dust with flour. The original recipe calls for a springform pan so that you can remove it at the end like a cheesecake. I use my 10-inch stoneware baking dish and serve the coffee cake directly from that.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Slice butter into mixture and use mixer to work it all into coarse crumbs. You can do this by hand with a large fork as well.
Set aside 1 cup of the crumb mixture.

Into remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, sour cream, 1 egg and almond extract. Mix for several minutes until moist and doughy.

Dip your hands in flour and then press dough evenly over the bottom and sides of your pan to form a crust. It’s always sticky so I keep a small bowl of flour nearby to keep coating my hands.

In a small bowl, blend cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and egg. Spoon mixture evenly over crust.

Spoon raspberry preserves evenly over the top of the cheese filling.

In a small bowl, stir together the 1 cup of reserved crumbs and almonds. Sprinkle  the mixture over the top of the preserves.

Bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes. The cream cheese should be set…soft still but not super jiggly. The crust will be golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes and serve warm.

Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator. Slices will warm up in the microwave very nicely.

You can also make this ahead for a brunch. Just warm the whole thing up by covering the dish in foil and heating in an oven at 350°F oven for about 20 minutes.