Gluten Free Coffee Cake combines cinnamon sugar sweetness with a buttery flavored, moist and tender cake. Subtle coffee notes make this a perfect match for a fresh brewed cup of coffee — any time of day! Combining plant-based ingredients that provide excellent sources of plant protein with healthy fats (including omega-3’s) and unrefined coconut palm sugar make this cake more than a scrumptious dessert. It’s a breakfast treat as well!
Gluten Free Coffee Cake
The Not-So-Secret Ingredient
Many coffee cake recipes do not call for coffee as an ingredient. For some, it’s called coffee cake simply because it pairs well with coffee. For others, myself included, coffee is the secret ingredient!
Prior to our move a couple of years ago, one of the spoils I had enjoyed in my old neighborhood was a local coffee importer/roaster and coffee shop. While our family has been very happy in our new home in our new town, the serious coffee drinker in me has really missed having fresh roasted coffee nearby.
Vint Hill Coffee – Chris
Imagine my delight when I discovered that a coffee shop was opening within walking distance of my home. And the best news of all: They import and roast their beans on the premises! Thanks to Chris and Lori Keen, Vint Hill Coffee is a reality. I decided to celebrate this momentous occasion with a new recipe — the Gluten Free Coffee Cake!
Vint Hill Coffee
Coffee . . . like a fine wine!
Chris and Lori carefully select their coffee beans the way a vintner chooses his varietals. They acquire their beans from 13 countries. Altitude, climate, and regional agriculture all play a role in influencing the resulting flavors and undertones of the beans. Not unlike a winemaker, Chris and Lori use their expertise to combine various beans resulting in an offering of nine custom coffee blends of their own. And this is where the magic happens . . .
Vint Hill Coffee – Diedrich IR-12 Coffee Roaster
Gluten Free Coffee Cake
I use their medium bodied Guatemalan roast with its luscious brown sugar undertones as a wonderful addition to my coffee cake recipe. Worry not! If you aren’t local to Vint Hill Coffee, you can order online at VintHillCoffee.com or substitute your favorite medium bodied roast.
Vint Hill Coffee – Roasted Beans
Gluten Free Coffee Cake – Dry Ingredients
Gluten Free Coffee Cake – Wet Ingredients
Gluten Free Coffee Cake – Batter
Gluten Free Coffee Cake – Batter in Pan
Gluten Free Coffee Cake – Drizzle Over Batter
Gluten Free Coffee Cake – Cutting Drizzle into Batter
Gluten Free Coffee Cake – Ready to Bake
Try my Mocha Pumpkin Scones if you’re interested in another delicious recipe made with coffee! Or my protein packed Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies and my Pie Crust Cinnamon Roll for a wonderful pairing with a hot cup of joe.
Gluten Free Coffee Cake combines cinnamon sugar sweetness with a buttery flavored, moist and tender cake. Subtle coffee notes make this a perfect match for a fresh brewed cup of coffee -- any time of day!
Ingredients
- Dry ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free oat flour
- 1/2 cup sorghum flour (sweet white sorghum flour)
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
- 1/4 cup arrowroot
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt (finely ground)
- Wet ingredients
- 2 tablespoons golden flax seed meal
- 5 tablespoons strong coffee
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 2/3 cup cashew milk (other nut milks may be substituted)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
- Topping
- 3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (divided)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- 2 tablespoons gluten free oat flour
Instructions
- 1) In a small bowl combine golden flaxseed meal and coffee. Set aside.
- 2) In a medium mixing bowl combine first eight ingredients (dry) and mix well with a whisk or wooden spoon.
- 3) In a small mixing bowl whisk together flax/coffee mixture with remaining wet ingredients (coconut oil, cashew milk, and vanilla). Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir or whisk together thoroughly. Pour mixture into greased 8x8 inch pan and spread evenly with spatula.
- 4) *Streusel* In a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted) and 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar. Drizzle 2 to 3 teaspoons in a "snake" pattern over batter in pan (see picture in post). Using a butter knife repeat the pattern in opposite direction to "cut" in streusel (see picture in post). Add remaining 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar and 2 tablespoons gluten free oat flour to remaining streusel in bowl and stir until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle on top of batter in pan (see picture in post). Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick test is clean. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack to cool. See storage suggestions in Notes.
Notes
Storage The cake will store nicely at room temperature for a day. After that, I recommend refrigerating in a sealed container. When serving from refrigerator I recommend allowing it to come to room temperature before serving.
My son is allergic to wheat and oats. Has anyone tried this recipe with sweet rice flour or garbanzo bean flour or brown rice flour?
I have not tried replacing the oat flour but perhaps you could try to replace it with and equal mix of sweet rice flour and brown rice flour. Let me know how it goes! ๐
Just made this and it’s delicious! I love the texture of the cake. I like what you did with the flax egg, using coffee as the liquid, and it’s made me wonder if i could do the same with lemon juice and make this a lemon cake (switching cinnamon for zest). Any idea if this would work, or if the acid in the lemon would affect the behaviour of the flax egg?
Hi Liz! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake ๐ I don’t think the acid in the lemon would adversely affect the flax egg but you may need to add a little extra sweetener to offset the lemon zest. Please let me know how it goes if you decide to give it a try. ๐
Definitely making this. I want to leave out the coffee. Would you suggest putting a substitute of anything in? Thank you!!!!
Hi Lexi, Yes, you will need to replace the coffee if you leave it out as that is the liquid that is mixed with the golden flaxseed meal for the flax egg. I think you could replace the coffee with the same amount of a neutral tasting plant-based milk. This would be in addition to the amount of plant-based milk called for later in the recipe. I hope this helps! Enjoy ๐
I bet I have 12 different flours in my pantry but not one is sorghum. What could I use instead? Thanks
You could try brown rice flour ๐
What proportions would you recommend if I used just white wheat flour and oat flour? I’m not gluten free, and I don’t have those other two flours. Thanks!
I haven’t tried this myself but you may be able to replace the sorghum flour and almond flour with 1 cup of white wheat flour (total). I would also reduce the arrowroot to 2 tablespoons. The baking time probably will not change but if the toothpick isn’t clean at the 20-25 minute mark as the recipe states then let it go a little longer. If you decide to try this version please let me know how it goes (I can’t have gluten so I can’t actually test it out myself). It would be great to be able to recommend this to others who aren’t concerned about removing the gluten. I hope this helps. ๐