Gluten Free Coffee Cake
Tender and moist golden sour cream gluten free coffee cake topped with that classic nubby, sweet streusel crumb topping.
Yield: 9 servings
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
For the topping
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup (73 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (140 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click for details)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the cake batter
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click for details)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon optional
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup (256 g) sour cream at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) milk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
For the crumble topping
- The topping must be prepared first, so it can chill.
- In a medium-size bowl, place all the ingredients in the order listed, mixing to combine after each addition.
- Cover the bowl that holds the raw topping. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill until firm.
For the cake batter
- In a medium-size bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and optional cinnamon, and whisk to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter, sour cream, granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla, and beat well on medium speed until very smooth. Add the eggs, and beat until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix by hand until just combined. The batter will be very thick, since our liquid is mainly sour cream.
Assemble and bake the cake
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with a wet spatula. Press the spatula down in the corners to eliminate any air pockets.
- Remove the chilled crumble topping from the refrigerator. Uncover the topping, and use the tines of a fork to break up the mixture into irregular pieces.
- Scatter the crumble pieces evenly on top of the cake batter. Press down gently to help the topping adhere to the batter.
- Place the cake pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the center does not jiggle in the center when the pan is shaken from side to side gently.
- A cake tester inserted into the center should come out mostly clean. Do not overbake or the bottom will burn.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cake to cool to warm room temperature in the pan. Slice into 9 equal squares and serve.
Notes
Originally published on the blog in 2012. In 2021, recipe tweaked slightly (less sugar, less butter in cake batter), more photos and a video added. In 2023, more step by step photos and text resources added.
Nutrition
Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 763IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 0.3mg