Recipe: Almond Berry Crumb Cake (with plum variation, 9x9-inch)

ALMOND BERRY CRUMB CAKE

Lynne: "Originally this recipe called for plums, but I swapped in blueberries and blackberries. I liked the blueberry version better because the berries are sweeter and they don't have all those little seeds. Also I added almonds because, well, I like almonds."

FOR THE TOPPING:
1 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp butter, cut in pieces
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
FOR THE CAKE:
10 Tbsp butter, softened
2/3 cup white granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pint fresh blueberries or blackberries (or 1 1/2 lbs purple plums, halved and pitted)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x9-inch baking pan.

TO PREPARE THE TOPPING:
Combine 1 cup flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in 6 tablespoon butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in almonds. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE CAKE BATTER:
Cream 10 tablespoons butter and white sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Mix in baking powder. Gradually mix in 1 1/4 cups flour in 3 batches.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Arrange rinsed and drained berries on top. Sprinkle the topping over the berries in an even layer.

Bake at 350 degrees F about 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source: lynne nishihara, 1994
Adapted from Plum Crumbcake recipe in The Great American Baking Book by Carole Clements