Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 10x15 inch pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy using a hand mixer. Add eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.
Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder just until combined.
Reserve 1 cup of dough. Spread the remaining dough in an even layer in the greased 10x15 inch pan. I find that an offset spatula helps to do this easily.
Pour the cherry pie filling on top and spread it evenly over the dough.
Take tablespoons of the reserved dough and dot it over the top of the pie filling.
Bake for 35–38 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges and cooked through. Let sit until cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk. Transfer it to a small plastic storage bag, and snip off a very small corner of the bag with a pair of kitchen scissors to create a makeshift pastry bag.
Drizzle the icing over the coffee cake using the pastry bag. Serve right away!
Notes
Make ahead instructions: the coffee cake can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Leave off the icing, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature. When you're ready to serve it, drizzle the icing over the top and serve. The coffee cake will keep 4–5 days at room temperature and even longer in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the coffee cake (either slices or the whole thing) for up to 3 months. NOTE: this recipe was updated on November 27, 2023, including updated photos and an updated pan size (was previously 11x17 inch, now it's 10x15 inch for a thicker coffee cake, which is true to the original recipe).