Jam and Cream Cheese Brunch Cake

Whew!! Tis a busy day! I'm feeling pretty darn good, so I went all home-maker and made three different recipes! I won't tell you what they are, you'll have to wait and see :) I will tell you that tonight is Bollywood Night again *happy dance* so I made something French that involves apples and custard... I haven't cut into it yet but it's gorgeous!!

I actually made this cake on Sunday, and took it with us to my cousin's house for dinner. I've had my eye on it for months but never found the right occasion to make a whole cake! Loaf cakes don't count, somehow. I would say it was pretty well received... no leftovers! It's from The English Kitchen, and probably would have been a lot prettier if I had a tart pan instead of a cheesecake pan, but oh well, it was still scrumptious. (note to self, add tart pan to kitchen wishlist) Speaking of my kitchen wishlist, when my uncle Todd asked what our first major purchase would be in our new home, Stephen said "cake pans." YAY!! He knows me so well!! And supports my obsession!! I guess "passion" would be a better word... either way, he gets the Best Husband Ever award, which is why I must bake something chocolate... SOON. Anyway, for this recipe you can use any flavor of jam or preserves you have on hand, but if it is pretty sweet I recommend stirring in a teaspoon of lemon juice to give it some tang. It may be called a "brunch" cake, but it was perfect as a dessert too!

Jam and Cream Cheese Brunch Cake (adapted slightly from The English Kitchen)
Printable Recipe

For the Cake:
9 1/2 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
5 1/4 ounces caster sugar (3/4 cup)
6 ounces cold butter (3/4 cup) 1 & 1/2 sticks
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
6 fluid ounces sour cream (3/4 cup)
1 tsp almond extract
1 large egg

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese or quark
1.75 ounces caster sugar (1/4 cup)
1 large eggAlso:
3-4 large spoonfuls of jam or preserves
1 1/2 ounces flaked toasted almonds (1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter and lightly dust with flour the bottom and side of a 9 inch fluted tart tin (or cheescake pan) with a removeable bottom. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the flour and sugar for the cake. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 5 ounces of this mixture (approx 1 cup) and set aside. To the remainder of it whisk in the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream, almond extract and the egg, blending in well. Spread this batter over the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the tart tin (if using a cheesecake pan, only about an a scant inch up the side. Just make a little rim, mine was a bit too high)

In a small bowl mix together all the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour this into the batter lined pan, spread to the edges)

Give the preserves a good stir and then carefully dollop them evenly over the top as well as you can. (I used this Four Fruit preserves, it is a mix of cherries, strawberries, redcurrants and raspberries. I mixed in about a tablespoon of lemon juice to cut some of the sweetness)

Mix together the reserved crumb mixture and the flaked almonds. (I forgot to mix it. That will make yours more crumbly than mine!) Sprinkle this evenly over the preserves.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the creamy filling is set and the crust is a deep golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Serve warm or cool. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Look how wonderful!! The middle may fall just a teeny bit, its okay!

Yummy light buttery cake on the outside...

Creamy sweet jam and cream cheese stripes inside! This is truly scrumptious, really, we loved it to death and  will DEFINITELY make it again!! I'm so glad I added a little lemon to the jam, it contrasts much better. YUM!

It's so pretty! And yummy! I love it when food can be fun to look at AND eat! And have I mentioned that cream cheese is one of my three favorite foods??

As happy as I am that everyone enjoyed it so much... tis a little sad there wasn't just one more piece...

Tune in tomorrow for French deliciousness!