almond crunch coffee cake

ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup Greek yogurt, warm

2 teaspoons fine espresso powder

almond filling and topping:

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar

method

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper that overhangs on two opposite sides. Set aside.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with whisk and set aside.

Cream together the butter with the sugars until fluffy, then the olive oil, the eggs, and the almond extract, one at a time, creaming together with the butter until each ingredient is incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

In a small bowl, take about half of the greek yogurt and combine with the fine espresso powder and whisk until espresso has dissolved and is incorporated into the yogurt, changing the color. Place in a microwave for a brief moment just to warm it up if the yogurt is cold and the espresso powder isn’t dissolving into the yogurt. Blend and whisk together the rest of the yogurt into it.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the yogurt/coffee mixture to the creamed butter mixture, a little at a time, blending on low. Start and end with the flour mixture.

Make the almond filling/topping by adding all the almonds, melted butter, and brown sugar into a bowl and mixing or stirring together until all the almonds are coated with butter and sugar.

Place half the batter on bottom of the loaf pan and level. Add about half the almond filling over the first half of the batter in the pan and spread evenly. Add the rest of the batter followed by topping this with the rest of the almonds.

Place in the oven and bake for roughly 50 minutes. Start checking about 45 minutes into balking. You want the top to be raised slightly in the center and firm. Do the toothpick test.

Remove from oven and lift cake out of pan and rest on wire rack for at least 45 minutes. Slice and serve.