Description
With fluffy, buttery vanilla cake and TWO layers of cinnamon streusel, this gluten-free coffee cake recipe might just be the best coffee cake of your life! (Pro tip: make the optional glaze–it takes it to the next level!)
Ingredients
Scale
For The Cinnamon Crumble:
- 12 Tablespoons butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks/170 grams)
- 1 3/4 cup gluten-free measure for measure (210 grams)*
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (150 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (you can use 2 tsp. for stronger cinnamon flavor!)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt*
For The Coffee Cake:
- 8 Tablespoons butter, softened (1 stick/113 grams)*
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour* (240 grams)
- 1 cup sour cream (8 oz/227 grams), room temperature*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt*
Optional Glaze:
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter melted
- 1/2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 Tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3–1/2 cup powdered sugar (40–60 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper.
- Make The Streusel. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix lightly with a fork just until clusters form and there aren’t any super floury bits. (It’s ok for it to look a bit powdery, just no big clumps of flour!). Try not to over-mix the streusel into a paste–stop when the clusters form. Set the streusel aside.
- Make The Cake Batter. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, until light, fluffy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Then, the vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just blended. Mix in the sour cream and beat for 30-60 seconds, until the mixture is lighter in color, smooth, and velvety.
- Layer The Coffee Cake. Scoop roughly half of the coffee cake batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth into an even layer. Top with roughly half of the crumble mixture and gently pat into the top of the cake batter. Top streusel with the second half of the cake batter and smooth. Top with the remaining streusel mixture.
- Bake & Cool. Now, bake the coffee cake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter!). Cool the cake on a wire rack 10 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling completely. (If needed, you can cool in the pan.)
- Garnish The Cake. If desired, you can garnish with a simple glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar. For the glaze, combine melted butter, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Whisk until totally smooth, adding more powdered sugar as necessary until it’s mostly opaque and drizzles easily off your fork or whisk. (If the glaze gets too thick, you can thin it with a little more milk.) Drizzle over cooled coffee cake before serving.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away, or store in an airtight container 2-3 days. (I refrigerate it for best results.) Coffee cake can also be frozen up to 2 months.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour. We recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend for taste and texture. If you use another brand (like Bob’s Red Mill), be sure it contains xanthan gum! Make sure you weigh it or measure carefully using the scoop & level method to avoid a dry or gummy cake! We don’t recommend almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour for this recipe.
- Metal Pan. I only recommend a metal pan for this cake. You’ll get the most even & gentle bake. If you use glass or ceramic, it will impact the rise and the bake time.
- Watch The Ingredient Temperature! For best results, you’ll want to start the cake with softened butter, room temperature eggs, and room temperature sour cream. This is important because the butter needs to be soft enough to cream with the sugar (a trick for fluffy cake!) and you don’t want cold eggs or sour cream ruining the creamed mixture.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
