Description
This easy gluten-free coffee cake features a soft, moist coffee and walnut sponge topped with a rich cappuccino whipped cream frosting. Perfect for coffee lovers, it’s simple to make and tastes delightfully indulgent, boasting a melt-in-the-mouth crumb with a fluffy, smooth frosting that’s lightly coffee-flavored.
Ingredients
For Coffee Cake:
- 120 g (½ cup) whole milk
- 15 g (3 ½ tbsp) instant coffee granules
- 140 g (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g (½ cup) light brown soft sugar
- 75 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 3 UK medium/US large eggs, room temperature
- 180 g (1 ½ cups) plain gluten free flour blend (e.g. Doves Farm Freee, no xanthan gum)
- 60 g (½ cup + 1 ½ tbsp) ground walnuts (or substitute with GF flour blend or almond flour)
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp xanthan gum (omit if flour blend contains it)
- ¼ tsp salt
For Cappuccino Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 300 g (1 ⅓ cups) double/heavy cream
- 18 g (2 ½ tbsp) cappuccino powder
- 2 g (1 ½ tsp) instant coffee granules
- 120 g (1 cup) icing/powdered sugar (adjust 90-160g based on sweetness preference)
- Chocolate shavings to decorate
Instructions
- Prepare oven and cake tin: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8 inch (20 cm) round cake tin with baking paper.
- Dissolve coffee in milk: Heat the milk and instant coffee granules together in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, stirring occasionally until fully dissolved. Set aside to cool until warm or room temperature.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk, stand mixer with paddle attachment, or hand mixer with beaters to cream the softened butter with the light brown sugar, caster sugar, and vanilla until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition to maintain emulsion and ensure a smooth batter. Use room temperature eggs, or warm them in water for 10-15 minutes if needed.
- Combine dry ingredients: Sift together the gluten free flour blend, ground walnuts, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Mix batter: Alternately add the dry ingredients (in three batches) and the coffee-milk mixture (in two batches) to the creamed butter mixture, whisking well after each addition. Always start and end with the dry ingredients. Despite a potentially curdled appearance after adding coffee milk, finish until the batter is smooth.
- Transfer and bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for 38-40 minutes until risen, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil and continue baking.
- Cool cake: Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare cappuccino frosting base: Heat 70 g (about ⅓ cup) of the double cream with cappuccino powder and instant coffee granules in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, stirring until fully dissolved. Cool completely.
- Whip cream: Whisk remaining double cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form, using a balloon whisk, mixer with whisk attachment, or hand mixer.
- Combine frosting: Gradually add the cooled coffee-cream mixture to the whipped cream, about one tablespoon at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition until well combined. Frosting should be fluffy, smooth, and hold soft peaks. Whisk longer if needed to thicken.
- Frost cake: Spread the cappuccino frosting evenly over the cooled cake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, creating decorative swirls.
- Decorate and serve: Sprinkle chocolate shavings over the frosting, slice the cake, and serve.
- Storage: Store the coffee cake in a closed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days to keep fresh.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs to ensure a smooth emulsion and light cake crumb.
- If your GF flour blend includes xanthan gum, omit the added xanthan gum for best texture.
- Ground walnuts can be substituted with additional gluten-free flour if allergic, but expect a dryer cake.
- Adjust frosting sweetness by varying powdered sugar between 90 g and 160 g to taste.
- If the cake surface browns too fast, cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning while baking through.
- For a less sharp coffee flavor, reduce instant coffee slightly in both batter and frosting.
