Italian sweet Easter cake casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 large panettone (approximately 0.9 kg.)
• Unsalted butter, to grease the pan
• 1.5 cups cherry jam
• 220 g of cream cheese, room temperature
• 3.5 cups light cream
• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 0.5 cups blanched sliced ​​almonds
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preparation:

1. Grease a 2-3 quart casserole with butter; set aside.
2. Slice the panettone into 2.5 cm thick slices (you should have 5-6 in total). If you have an odd number of slices, cut one in half. Spread jam on half of the slices. Spread cream cheese on the other half. Press 1 slice of each type of sandwich together to form sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches into 2.5 cm cubes and distribute them evenly in the prepared baking dish. Don't worry if the sandwich pieces fall apart; just rearrange them to fill the spaces evenly. There's no need to re-glue them.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Pour evenly over the panettone in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the plastic wrap from the pan and press the loaf onto the loaf. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake until the casserole is puffed and golden brown and the custard is set (the center is firm to the touch), about 1 hour and 10 minutes. If the top begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Let cool for 20 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar.