By Wendy Stoltz / Last Modified On February 28, 2023

Perfect with coffee or tea, this tender gluten-free coffee cake is simple to make and uses minimal ingredients. This rich buttery extra moist cake is topped with a sweet crumble topping that will have you licking your fork.

If you love masterclasses and learning new cooking techniques, these are great gluten-free courses worth taking a look at. I also love learning from Roy Choi and celebrated chef Dominique Crenn. 

I love coffee cake recipes so much that I have a few recipes you need to try. Gluten-free mug coffee cake, gluten-free chai coffee cake or a gluten-free gingerbread coffee cake. Which of these coffee cake recipes are going to be your favorite?

For more dairy-free options, check out this roundup of our best Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Breakfast Recipes.

GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CAKE RECIPE

This rich buttery cake topped with a sweet crumble topping will have you licking your fork. Despite the name, coffee cake doesn't have coffee in it. It was meant to be a breakfast cake that you can serve with coffee.

The cake part of gluten-free coffee cake is tender and buttery, and it's topped with a sweet crumble. It's basically a gluten-free crumb cake. A cake that you can eat for breakfast! We like extra crumble on top of our coffee cake, so I doubled the crumble ingredients in this gluten-free coffee cake recipe. If you like less, feel free to cut the crumble topping portion of the recipe in half.

WHY YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE THIS GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CAKE

Makes the best breakfast - Who said you can't start your day with cake? This GF coffee cake is perfect for any part of your day.

Perfect crumb - It is all things you want in a cake. 

Easy to make - Even a beginner baker can easily make this cake.

INGREDIENTS IN GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CAKE

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend - I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. 

Gluten-Free Baking Powder - Check to make sure your baking powder is safe. This helps the cake to rise while it's baking. 

Baking Soda - A combination of baking soda and baking powder gives the best texture to this coffee cake, so add it to your cake batter. 

Salt - Just a bit brings out the sweetness of the sugar in the cake batter. 

Cinnamon - This is the flavor that I want in a classic coffee cake recipe. It's warm, sweet and perfect. 

Unsalted Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter when I'm baking. Allow the butter for the cake to come to room temperature. For the crumb topping, you'll need melted butter. 

Brown Sugar - This adds sweetness, plus a molasses depth that you can't get from white sugar. 

Vanilla Extract - Be sure to use a gluten-free vanilla extract to give your coffee cake batter the perfect flavor. 

Eggs - Eggs hold everything together and help create the wonderful texture that this gluten-free coffee cake has.

Buttermilk - This tangy bit of dairy is the secret ingredient to my coffee cake batter.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR THIS GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CAKE

Mixing bowls - These Pyrex mixing bowls come in handy.

Baking pan - I have used an eight-by-eight inch cake pan.

Whisk - Use a stainless-steel whisk to combine the ingredients.

If you have any questions about making gluten-free coffee cake, please leave a comment and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CAKE

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the ingredients for the crumb topping with a fork; set aside.
2. In a separate medium mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla until well combined.
4. Add in eggs and mix until combined.
5. Alternate adding in the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. Mix until well combined.
7. Pour the coffee cake batter into the baking pan and then crumble the crumb topping over the batter.
8. Bake as directed until you have a perfectly baked cake layer.

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CAKE

Mix the ingredients separately - In the recipe I specify ingredients to combine separately and in separate bowls, follow this for success.

Bake it and check - Bake it according to the suggested time but check it with a toothpick as oven temperatures do vary.

WORKING WITH GLUTEN-FREE FLOURS

When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour.

The best method really is to weigh the gluten-free flour, but I don’t have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet. SO, the best bet is to use the measuring cup and not scoop!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW DO YOU MAKE A GLUTEN-FREE DAIRY-FREE COFFEE CAKE?

If you can't do dairy, you can replace the butter with dairy-free butter and the buttermilk with dairy-free yogurt or a dairy-free buttermilk to make this a gluten-free dairy-free coffee cake.

To make dairy-free buttermilk, simply add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to 1 cup of dairy-free milk and let it sit for 10 minutes before adding it to the batter.

If using dairy-free butter, you may want to omit the salt in this recipe, as dairy-free butters are often salty. 

COFFEE CAKE VARIATIONS

Icing: A drizzle of a simple icing made from ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, and a splash of vanilla extract will take this breakfast cake to the next level. 

Nuts: Chopped pecans or almonds added to the crumble will add nuttiness and extra crunch. 

Granola: Use your favorite granola as a topping to make something similar to this muesli coffee cake.

Layers: You can add a filling to the coffee cake by spreading jam, berries, or chocolate chips in between the batter. Add half of the batter to the pan, then the filling, then the rest of the batter. 

CAN I MAKE THIS GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CAKE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, you can make this GF coffee cake ahead of time. You can either freeze it (take it out of the cake pan) or else it keeps for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

CAN I FREEZE GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CAKE?

Yes, you can make this GF coffee cake ahead of time and freeze it. Bake it, cool it completely, and cover it or wrap it in foil and place it in the freezer. Simply pull it out of the freezer when you are ready to thaw it.

IS COFFEE GLUTEN-FREE?

Yes, unflavored coffee beans are gluten-free, therefore, coffee is gluten-free. You'll need to be careful with flavored coffees. Please always check labels. Just a reminder that a coffee cake doesn't actually have coffee in it. If you are concerned about the protein in coffee being a cross reactor, you don't need to be, as it is not true.

HOW DO YOU MAKE GLUTEN-FREE EGG-FREE COFFEE CAKE?

You would need to replace the egg with an egg replacer like chia egg. 

HOW DO YOU MAKE THE PERFECT CRUMB TOPPING FOR GF COFFEE CAKE?

The unsalted butter needs to be melted and cooled. This allows the topping to solidify and then the crumbly topping doesn't melt into some sugar topping.

CAN I USE OTHER GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLENDS?

Yes. I suggest trying this gluten-free flour blend, option 2, or another 1-to-1 baking blend. Your blend should include xanthan gum for stability. 

HOW DO YOU STORE GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CAKE?

This cake will stay fresh for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Did you make this gluten-free coffee cake? Please leave me a comment below letting me know what you thought.,