This buttery cake is so easy to make and so delicious with the fruit filling. It could be made with any fruit spread or pie filling that you like. I’ve always made these with seedless raspberry jam because it’s my favorite, but I recently branched out and tried blackberry jam. I liked it even better. This summer, I’m going to try it with fresh strawberries, and I was even thinking about trying it with cranberries for the holidays. Leave the glaze off for a brunch or coffee cake, or glaze it for a dessert. It’s amazing with vanilla ice cream. The possibilities are endless. … I’ll keep you posted. …
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.
Warm jam in microwave at full power for 40-60 seconds. (You want to soften it so that it spreads smoothly, but you don’t want it to be hot.) Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes, until light and creamy.
Combine eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts.
Add egg mixture to butter mixture, and beat 3-5 minutes, more, until fluffy.
Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir gently, just to fully incorporate.
Do not over mix.
Scoop 2/3 of batter into prepared baking pan, and smooth. Try to keep from spreading all the way to the edge of the pan; leave about 1/2 inch.
Spoon jam on top of cake batter and smooth. Keep the jam 1/2 inch away from the edge of the batter.
Drop small spoons-full of batter on top of jam, spreading them out as much as possible, without mixing into the jam.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until cake is lightly golden and dry. Watch carefully.
Cool completely on wire rack.
Make the glaze.
Soften cream cheese and butter in microwave for 30 seconds on high. Do NOT melt.
Combine powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, cream cheese, butter, and half and half, and whisk until smooth. If the butter (or cream cheese) is lumpy, microwave entire mixture for a few seconds at a time, until smooth.
Drizzle glaze on cooled cake.
To achieve an intricate pattern, put the glaze in a squeeze bottle.
For a less “perfect” look, drizzle the glaze from a spoon.
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 18 ounces (1 ½ cups) raspberry preserves, warmed
- 1 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup half and half, room temperature
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray for baking.
- Warm raspberry jam in microwave for 40-60 seconds. You don’t want it hot, but it should be smooth and easily spreadable. Set aside.
- Combine sugar and butter and beat several minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and beat several minutes more until light and fluffy.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gently mix flour mixture into creamed mixture. Stir just enough to incorporate completely.
- Pour 2/3 of the batter into prepared pan.
- Spread evenly to ½ inch from edge.
- Pour jam on batter and gently spread. Don’t mix it in,
- Drop remaining batter in small dollops on top of jam. Try to spread them so they aren’t too thick, but be careful not to mix into jam.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Watch carefully. They’re ready when the top is golden.
- Cool completely on wire rack.
- Warm cream cheese and butter in microwave for 30 seconds.
- Combine all ingredients, and whisk until smooth. If the butter or cream cheese are lumpy, warm the entire mixture just long enough to smooth out lumps.
- Drizzle on raspberry bars, and refrigerate 20 minute to set.
- Serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers.
These bars are also wonderful with different fruit swirls. I made this batch with blackberry preserves, and I like them even better than raspberry.