Cherry-Almond Coffee Cake

This cake makes a beautiful gift or a lovely cake to serve to guests. It freezes well and it is very easy to make two cakes at once. I like to purchase new springform pans and give the pan and cake as a gift with a bright-red bow tied around the outside of the pan. It also makes wonderful breakfast fare.

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup cherry pie filling
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a nine-inch springform pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until creamy. Add the extracts and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In alternating turns, add the dry ingredients and sour cream to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and add half of the cherry filling. Gently swirl the batter mixture with a spatula. Spoon the remaining batter carefully into the pan and top with the remaining cherry filling. Sprinkle the almonds on top of the filling and gently press them into the batter. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake should have slightly moved away from the sides of the pan. Cool pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and serve warm.