Gluten-Free Coffee Cake

This gluten-free coffee cake is the recipe I bring to everything. Baby showers, birthdays, Easter brunch, Mother’s Day, girls’ weekends. It’s the one I get asked about every single time, and the one people never believe is gluten-free.

The cake is soft and tender with a cinnamon sugar swirl through the middle, a thick crumbly streusel on top, and a simple powdered sugar glaze drizzled over everything. It has a few components, but each one is quick and straightforward. The whole thing bakes in an 8×8 pan and serves 12, which makes it easy to slice up and bring along. I like to make it the day before and it’s just as moist the next day.

I also have a blueberry coffee cake and a chocolate chip coffee cake if you want to mix it up, but this cinnamon streusel version is the original and the one I make most.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking flour in this recipe. It already contains xantham gum. I have not tested this recipe with other gluten-free flour blends.
• Butter – You’ll need it in two forms for this recipe. Melted and cooled for the streusel topping so it stays crumbly, and room temperature for the cake batter so it creams properly with the sugar.
• Sour Cream – Adds moisture and a slight tang to the cake. It also makes the crumb richer than using milk alone. Full-fat works best here.
• Egg – One large egg (50g), at room temperature. Cold eggs can cause the batter to curdle when mixed with the creamed butter and sugar.
• Milk – I used whole milk, but 2% or 1% would work fine in this recipe.

How to Spread the Batter Over the Cinnamon Swirl

The top layer of batter goes over the cinnamon sugar filling, and it can feel like there isn’t enough batter to cover it. Use an offset spatula and work from the edges inward, spreading gently. It doesn’t need to be a thick layer, and it’s fine if a little cinnamon sugar peeks through. It’ll bake together.

Expert Tips

• Let the cake cool completely before glazing. If the cake is still warm, the glaze will melt right into it instead of sitting on top in a drizzle. Patience here makes a big difference in how it looks.
• Line the pan with parchment paper. It makes lifting the whole cake out of the pan easy, which means cleaner slices and no scraping the bottom of the dish. Leave a little overhang on two sides so you have something to grab.

Recipe FAQs

What is the best gluten-free flour blend to use in this recipe?

I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour works well too.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes. Double everything and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. You’ll need to add 10–15 minutes to the bake time. Check with a toothpick starting around 40 minutes.

Can I use a different pan size?

Yes. A 9×9-inch pan will work, but the cake will be thinner and may need 5–10 fewer minutes in the oven. You can also use a 9-inch round cake pan.

Can I skip the cinnamon swirl or the glaze?

The cake is still good without either one, but the cinnamon swirl is what makes it a coffee cake and not just a vanilla cake with streusel. The glaze is more optional. If you skip it, the cake is a little less sweet.

Storage Instructions

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I like to warm slices slightly before serving.

Freeze: Cool completely, slice, and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. You can freeze it with or without the glaze. Without looks cleaner when thawed, but either way works. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Serving Suggestions

This coffee cake is usually the sweet anchor of a bigger brunch spread for me. For something savory alongside it, a gluten-free breakfast casserole feeds a crowd with almost no hands-on time, or a hash brown egg skillet works well for a smaller group. On the sweeter side, gluten-free blueberry scones or gluten-free banana bread pair well without too much overlap. And if you really want to go all out, gluten-free cinnamon rolls next to this coffee cake will make people forget they’re eating gluten-free.

Method

Streusel Topping:

1. 1

   Whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. 2

   Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until crumbs form. You want a mix of large pieces about the size of a walnut half and smaller crumbs. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Cinnamon Swirl:

1. 3

   Mix together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon until combined. Set aside.

Coffee Cake:

1. 4

   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.

2. 5

   Whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. 6

   In a separate bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

4. 7

   Add the egg, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

5. 8

   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.

6. 9

   Spoon half of the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth with a spatula.

7. 10

   Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the batter. Gently spread the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer using an offset spatula, working from the edges inward.

8. 11

   Cover the cinnamon sugar with the remaining batter. Spread with a spatula, being careful not to disturb the sugar.

9. 12

   Sprinkle the gluten-free streusel over the batter.

10. 13

    Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, or until the cake is light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Glaze:

1. 14

   Whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk if needed until it reaches a drizzling consistency.

2. 15

   Drizzle over the cooled coffee cake and let set before slicing.