Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

For the Topping:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F.

Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until well combined and sugar is moistened.

Stir in almonds; set aside.

For the Cake:

Spray 10″ tube pan with non stick cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, 1 cup plus 2 Tb sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, about 20 seconds, and scraping down beater and sides of bowl as necessary.

Add 4 tsp vanilla and mix to combine.

Reduce speed to low and add one-third flour mixture, followed by half sour cream, mixing until incorporated after each addition, 5 to 10 seconds.

Repeat, using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining sour cream.

Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour.

Reserve 1¼ cups batter and set aside.

Spoon remaining batter into prepared pan and smooth top.

Return now-empty bowl to mixer and beat cream cheese, remaining 5 Tb sugar, lemon juice, and remaining tsp vanilla on med speed until smooth and slightly lightened, about 1 minute.

Add ¼ cup reserved batter and mix until incorporated.

Spoon cheese filling mixture evenly over batter, keeping filling about 1″ from edges of pan; smooth top.

Spread remaining cup of reserved batter over filling and smooth top.

With butter knife or offset spatula, gently swirl filling into batter using figure-8 motion, being careful not to drag filling to bottom or edges of pan.

Firmly tap pan on counter 2 or 3 times to dislodge any bubbles.

Sprinkle lemon sugar-almond topping evenly over batter and gently press into batter to adhere.

Bake until top is golden and just firm, and long skewer inserted into cake comes out clean (skewer will be wet if inserted into cheese filling), 45-50 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and firmly tap on counter 2 or 3 times (top of cake might sink slightly).

Cool cake in pan on wire rack 1 hour.

Gently invert cake onto rimmed baking sheet (cake will be topping side down);

Remove tube pan, pace wire rack on top of cake, and invert cake sugar-side up.

Cool to room temperature, about 1½ hours.

Cut into slices and serve.