Gluten-Free Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

This gluten-free coffee cake recipe was shared with us by my friend Colette Martin, from her cookbook Learning to Bake Allergen-Free. All of Colette’s recipes are free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and nuts, and she has tried just about every substitute you can think of!

For this gluten-free coffee cake recipe, Colette recommends using one of the following gluten-free flour blends: Authentic Foods Multi Blend Gluten Free Flour, Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend (includes xanthan gum), or King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour (includes xanthan gum). If you prefer from scratch, she does offer a few homemade flour blends in Learning to Bake Allergen-Free that can be used cup for cup in this recipe.

The technique used here to create the streusel topping is one that is used frequently in Learning to Bake Allergen-Free for making cookie dough and pie crusts. But, you are here for a gluten-free coffee cake recipe, not pie crust, so lets get back to it.

Did you know that most coffee cakes don’t contain coffee? They get their name because they are intended to be served with coffee, which makes them the perfect treat for breakfast. My favorite part of a gluten-free coffee cake is always the streusel topping—just enough sugar to wake you up.

Special Diet Notes: Gluten-Free Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and generally top food allergy-friendly.

Gluten-Free Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Recipe from Learning to Bake Allergen-Free: A Crash Course for Busy Parents on Baking without Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Soy or Nuts, copyright © Colette Martin, 2012. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold.

Author: Colette Martin

Serves: 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 2 cups gluten-free flour blend (see note above)
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend contains xanthan gum)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) Earth Balance Natural Shortening, softened (see tip)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons warm water (equal to 2 eggs)
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup coconut milk beverage (can sub hemp milk or your favorite non-dairy milk alternative)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Streusel Topping:

• ⅔ cup gluten-free oat flour
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance Natural Shortening, cold

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking oil.

Prepare the Cake Batter:

1. Mix together the flour, xanthan gum (if needed), baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set it aside.
2. Cream together the shortening and granulated sugar in a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, for about 5 minutes, until a textured paste forms. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
3. Add the egg replacer mixture, applesauce, coconut milk, and vanilla to the creamed sugar. Blend with a mixer on medium-low speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and blend on medium speed, about 2 minutes.
5. Pour the batter into the baking dish, spreading it to the sides of the pan.

Prepare the Streusel Topping:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour and brown sugar, using a pastry cutter or pastry fork.
2. Cut the shortening into tablespoon-sized pieces. Use the pastry cutter to work the shortening into the flour.
3. Crumble the streusel topping over the batter.
4. Bake at 350°F for 32 to 36 minutes.

Notes

Note that the shortening for the cake is used at room temperature, whereas the shortening for the topping is used cold. Plan to let just the 4 tablespoons sit out to soften and leave the remainder in the fridge until you need it for the streusel.

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