Who among us doesn’t enjoy a great pastry or coffee cake? Whether it’s a small wedge with that first cup of coffee in the morning or a generous slice shared with a friend in the afternoon, cake and coffee just go together.
The combination of creamy mascarpone filling, sweet berry preserves and a toasted nut topping makes this torta worthy of a special weekend treat … but, why wait!
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 8 ounces mascarpone, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- In a large bowl, combine the flour with the sugar and then using a pastry blender (or 2 butter knives), cut in the butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture.
- To the remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream, egg and almond extract. Blend well.
- Spread the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9 or 10-inch spring-form pan. Spread over the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone, vanilla, sugar and egg until thoroughly combined. Spread the mixture evenly over the batter in the pan. Carefully, spoon the raspberry jam evenly over the mascarpone layer.
- In a small bowl, combine the reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle over the top. Scatter the almonds over the torta.
- Bake in a 350* oven for 45-55 minutes. The filling should be set and the crust should be a deep golden brown. Cool 15-20 minutes before removing sides of pan. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.
