¼tspcoarse Kosher salt(if using table salt, use half the amount)
¼tspground nutmeg
⅛tspground cloves
Filling (optional)
4ozcream cheese,softened to room temperature
4ozalmond paste(not almond pastry filling)
Streusel
⅓cupgranulated sugar
½cupall-purpose flour,spooned and leveled
½tspcoarse Kosher salt(if using table salt, use half the amount)
3tbspunsalted butter,melted
¼cupalmonds, finely chopped(or 1/4 cup almond flour)
Icing
1cuppowdered sugar
¼cupheavy whipping cream
½tspalmond extract
Instructions
Coffee Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 F, and spray a 10-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.
In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla and almond extracts.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk briefly just to combine.
Set aside while you make the filling.
Filling
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and almond paste for about 30 seconds until combined.
Spread half the batter into the bottom of your pan.
Dollop the filling over the batter, then use a small icing spatula to spread the filling out or just lightly swirl it in.
Spread the remainder of the batter over the filling.
Streusel
In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt and melted butter until moistened and crumbly. Stir in the almonds (reserving 1-2 tablespoons to sprinkle over the icing later, if you like).
Sprinkle the streusel over the batter.
Bake
Bake the cake on the center oven rack, for about 45-50 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Set aside to cool while you make the icing.
Icing
In a bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, cream and almond extract until smooth, and has a thick drizzling consistency.
Drizzle the icing over the hot cake, and sprinkle with the remaining chopped almonds.
Let cool 20-30 minutes, then serve warm, or at room temperature.
Notes
The filling is optional - I've made this coffee cake with and without the cream cheese and almond paste, and it's great either way. The cream cheese adds a moist, creamy, slightly dense layer inside the fluffy cake. Another option would be to just crumble and sprinkle a layer of almond paste over half the batter, without the cream cheese.
Leftover coffee cake should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days. It's fantastic leftover, and can be rewarmed for 20-30 seconds in the microwave for that "just-baked" texture.
Because of the long bake time, you may find that the bottom of the cake browns quite a bit if you use a glass or ceramic pan (which conducts more heat). A light-weight aluminum pan conducts less heat and should result in less of a browned crust at the bottom of the cake. I used a ceramic pan, though, and didn’t mind the golden brown crust at the bottom, so it’s just a matter of preference.