A small batch recipe for gluten free coffee cake with almond as the star flavor! An almond flour blend and sucanat sugar make the cake gluten and refined sugar free, while layers of moist sour cream cake hold a cinnamon sugar filling and almond flavored streusel topping. Finish with an almond glaze and you have a heavenly breakfast treat!
Small Batch Gluten Free Almond Coffee Cake Recipe
Move over almond croissants – coffee has a new almond partner in town! Well, maybe not. Croissants are pretty divine. However, this coffee cake is a delicious alternative to buttery pastries – especially if you are looking for something a little sweet!
The 6-inch cake isn’t the first mini coffee cake recipe on the blog. After the success of the cherry coffee cake, I want to make sure the breakfast collection is stocked with a variety of recipes.
Here’s what this new coffee cake recipe brings to the party:
- Gluten Free – The cake is made with a Paleo flour blend of almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour. This blend makes an extremely tender and flavorful cake.
- Refined Sugar Free – I introduce a new sweetener with this recipe – sucanat. Keep reading to find out more about sucanat!
- Almond, Almond, and a little more Almond – I love almond flavor – and yes, even almond extract. Much like the Bakewell crumb cake recipe, this coffee cake has an abundance of almond flavor.
- Moist Sour Cream Cake – The cake gets its moisture from – you guessed it – sour cream. Which happens to be a pretty standard ingredient in any classic coffee cake recipe.
- Dunk ‘able Texture – If we are going to eat this with coffee, it needs to stand up to being dunked! While moist, the cake does have a tighter texture that is a feature characteristic of coffee cake.
- Streusel Topping AND Cinnamon Sugar Filling – If you are going to call it a coffee cake, it must have these two components!
Why do you call it Coffee Cake If There is no Coffee In It?
First things first – if you are looking for a coffee cake that actually has coffee as an ingredient – I have that for you! The mini mocha coffee cake features coffee in the filling, streusel, and whipped dalgona top!
Back to your question – my short answer is that coffee cake is intended to be served with coffee. Even at it origins, the cake was paired with coffee. However, some may have included coffee in the cake as a way to use up leftovers, but I think you’ll find most recipes suggest enjoying the cake with the coffee.
But rather than give an extended explanation to this baffling wording mystery, I’d rather just talk about how delicious it is and how easy it is to make!
Refined Sugar Free Coffee CAke
As I test gluten free bakes, I also like to experiment with refined sugar free sweeteners. Talk about tricky! Maple syrup can lead to an unpleasant dense cake. Honey has a mind of its own and likes to be baked at precise temperatures. And coconut sugar needs other ingredients to complement its flavor.
But, you can get it right. Maple syrup works wonders in the gluten free maple cinnamon bread. Honey produces light as air honey orange bundt cakes. And coconut sugar adds the perfect sweetness to gluten free chocolate cupcakes.
What Is Sucanat Sugar
With this recipe, I introduce a new natural sweetener – sucanat. I first learned about sucanat in my copy of America’s Test Kitchen Naturally Sweet cookbook. In the simplest terms, sucanat is an unrefined sugar made from pure dried sugar cane juice.
And the name is actually just an abbreviation for sucre de canne naturel – or natural cane sugar.
Because sucanat does not go through the same processing as granulated white sugar, it retains a lot of its natural color and flavor. Which, as you can see in the photos above, it is much darker than table sugar, and has a rich, caramel-y flavor.
Additionally, the sugar granules are larger. Which is why I recommend grinding the sugar into a powder. Actually, America’s Test Kitchen advised of that, so I’m passing that along! Otherwise, the sugar granules are unlikely to dissolve in the batter. And we want the sugar to permeate our cake!
Everything You Need To Make The Almond Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- Almond Flour – The almond flour provides texture, moisture, and protein to the cake.
- Arrowroot Flour – Arrowroot flour also provides structure and makes the cake tender.
- Coconut Flour – Coconut flour is absorbent and a good balance to the moisture of the almond flour.
- Tapioca Flour – Tapioca helps with the chew that we are missing with gluten.
- Baking Powder and Soda – We use both to get texture and rise in the cake.
- Salt – Salt balances all the flavors!
- Sucanat – You can find this at most health grocers (i.e. Whole Foods).
- Unsalted Butter – I like to use unsalted so I can control the salt content.
- Sour Cream – Full fat sour cream is best to give the cake the delectable texture.
- Egg – We only need 1 egg.
- Almond Extract – Of course!
- Cinnamon – For the filling and streusel topping.
- Powdered Sugar and Milk – For the glaze.
Baking Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- 6-Inch Square Cake Pan
- Handheld Mixer – I did provide notes in the recipe about how to use your stand mixer instead!
Tips For A Successful gluten free sour cream coffee Cake
- Grind the sucanat into a powder before using – Otherwise you may end up with a speckled cake and dusty streusel.
- Make the filling and streusel first – I say this from experience. There is nothing more frustrating than pouring the batter into the pan and realizing I haven’t made the streusel yet!
- Use full fat sour cream – The fat content is what helps give this cake texture, flavor, and moisture.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together first – Before adding the butter. I just like the reassurance that all of the dry ingredients are fully combined and I won’t be left with lumps of leavener.
- Use room temperature ingredients – With the exception of the butter in the streusel. When ingredients all start out at the same temperature, they mix and bake more evenly.
- Add some mix-ins – The cake would be lovely with some chopped nuts or dried fruit in the streusel!
- Cool the cake completely before serving – As with most all of my gluten free recipes, I recommend allowing the bake to cool completely because I find they taste better when they’ve had time to rest.
FAQ’s For How To Make Gluten Free Coffee Cake
I have not tested it, but a larger 8×8 pan would be needed. If you do, let me know how it turns out!
Probably not. Gluten free flours all behave differently. And I find the 1:1 blends are much drier so ratios of ingredients would probably need to change.
I have provided instructions on how to swap in granulated white sugar. I can’t speak to any other sweeteners as I have not tested them.
This is called the reverse creaming method. The result is a tighter crumb which is traditional for coffee cake.
You sure can!
The cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Beyond that, and it may start to dry out.
Gluten Free Almond Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Filling
- 1 ½ tablespoons sucanat sugar (or 1 tablespoon granulated sugar)
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup sucanat sugar (or 1/3 cup granulated sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Almond Coffee Cake
- 3 tablespoons full fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup sucanat sugar (or 1/4 cup granulated sugar)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
Almond Glaze
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 teaspoons milk or water
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Lightly grease a 6-inch square cake pan, then line it with a strip of parchment paper long enough to hang over the sides of the pan.
- How to use the sucanat sugar – The sugar is very coarse, and in order for it to bake well into the cake, we must grind it first (see photos in post). I use a small Nutri-Bullet blender to grind the sugar. A coffee/spice grinder will also work.
Cake Filling
- Grind the sucanat into a powder. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.1 ½ tablespoons sucanat sugar, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping
- Grind the sucanat into a powder. In a small bowl, stir together the almond flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter cubes and mix into the flour – using your fingertips or two forks – until the flour is moistened and crumbly. Sprinkle the almond extract over the top and give a little stir to incorporate.¼ cup blanched almond flour, ¼ cup sucanat sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Almond Coffee Cake
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, and almond extract until thoroughly combined.3 tablespoons full fat sour cream, room temperature, 1 large egg, room temperature, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Grind the sucanat into a powder. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and sugar. Add the butter cubes. Using a hand held mixer, mix on medium speed until the butter starts to moisten the dough and it resembles coarse sand. Note – See the notes section below for details on using a stand mixer.½ cup blanched almond flour, ¼ cup arrowroot flour, 2 tablespoons coconut flour, 2 tablespoons tapioca flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅓ cup sucanat sugar, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
- Add the sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and continue to mix on medium speed until you get a smooth batter. A few lumps are ok. Let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes to allow the flours to hydrate and flavors develop.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling over the batter, then dollop the remaining cake batter on top. Gently smooth the batter to the edges of the pan with an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top. Bake the cake for 38 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the streusel starts to brown too quickly, place a piece of foil loosely over the top of the cake.
- Cool the cake in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment overhang, and cool on the rack completely.
Almond Glaze
- When ready to serve, make the glaze – In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of milk. For a thinner consistency, add 1 more teaspoon of milk. Stir in the almond extract, if using. Note – You may find there is enough almond flavor in the cake to omit it in the glaze.¼ cup powdered sugar, 2 to 3 teaspoons milk or water, ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake, slice, and Enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This recipe makes a 6-inch cake that can serve 2 to 4 people – or more – depending on how large you cut your slices.
- Sucanat Sugar – Sucanat is unrefined pure dried sugar cane juice. From the bag, the sugar is very coarse and doesn’t always dissolve well into batters and doughs. Therefore, it needs to be ground into a powder first. I use a small blender or spice grinder.
- Alternative to Sucanat – I have provided conversions in the recipe card if you prefer to use granulated white sugar instead.
- Almond Extract – I love almond extract, but some people find it very assertive. You can always omit the almond extract in the glaze and streusel topping.
- Reverse Creaming – We use the reverse creaming method – adding the butter to the dry ingredients first – to produce a tight crumb. Which is characteristic of a coffee cake.
- Stand Mixer – Kitchen Aid offers a small 3-quart mixing bowl that works on the standard tilt-head stand mixer and attachments. I find this a must-have for small batch baking!
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch gluten free and traditional desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you!
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