Cranberry-Almond Coffee Cake

Christmas Cranberry-Almond Crumble Coffee Cake
Serves 12

Note: This cake doesn’t just have to be for a holiday breakfast. We think it would be a gorgeous addition to the sweets tray at an afternoon tea party. And if you plan to prepare it for a holiday meal, it can be frozen ahead of time. Simply wrap well with a layer of plastic and then tin foil. To defrost, crack open the wrappings and allow the cake to come to room temperature on the counter-top. Re-heat in a 325 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
½ cup blanched slivered almonds, lightly toasted and chopped – $3.99
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped – $1.99
½ cup (1 stick) sweet butter, softened – stock
1 cup sugar – stock
2 eggs, lightly beaten – stock
½ Teaspoon almond or vanilla extract – stock
2 cups all-purpose flour – stock
1 ¼ Teaspoons baking powder – stock
½ Teaspoon baking soda – stock
¼ Teaspoon salt – stock
½ Teaspoon cinnamon – stock
¼ Teaspoon ground cloves – stock
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream

For the Topping:
3 Tablespoons flour – stock
2 Tablespoons sweet butter, softened – stock
¼ cup blanched slivered almonds, lightly toasted and chopped – included above
1/3 cup brown sugar – stock
¼ Teaspoon almond or vanilla extract – stock
½ Teaspoon cinnamon – stock
¼ cup fresh cranberries (or to taste), coarsely chopped – included above
Grand Total Assuming a Well-Stocked Pantry: $5.98
Total Per Slice: $0.50

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly toast the chopped almonds on an un-greased cookie sheet until pale gold, stirring once, about 4 or 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. Oil or butter a 9-inch spring-form pan.

3. Using a mixer, cream the butter with the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the almond or vanilla extract.

4. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Stir in the cranberries and almonds.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar batter, alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Note: The batter will be quite thick and I finished it by hand, so as not to over-mix and produce a dry cake.

6. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.

7. In a small bowl combine the topping ingredients, using 2 knives as cross swords to cut in the butter. Or do what I do and use your fingers! The mixture should be crumbly, no matter your method.

8. Sprinkle the crumbles evenly over the batter. Bake for 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.