Gluten Free Cinnamon Crumb Cake

Name: Gluten Free Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend (* see note); 1 cup sugar or coconut sugar; 1/2 cup almond flour (* see note); 2 large eggs; 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted); 2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum-free); 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 cup almond milk (* see note); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/3 cup cold butter; 1 cup gluten free flour blend; 3/4 cup sugar or coconut sugar; 1 teaspoon cinnamon

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If you miss a moist and delicious crumb cake since going gluten free, this decadent Gluten Free Crumb Cake recipe is for you! It is topped with a thick brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping. It has both refined sugar-free and regular crumb cake options!

A slice of gluten free crumb cake on a plate.

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Why This Recipe is Great:
Ingredient Notes:
Easy Substitutions:
Tips For Success:
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Recipe FAQ:
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes:
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💬 Comments

Grab a cup of your favorite coffee or tea because you are going to want that on hand for this new recipe. I am really excited about this recipe. This fluffy cake is topped with a delicious New York-style crumb topping. It is easily the best crumb coffee cake I have ever tasted.

If you love baking, you will want to try all my incredible gluten free cake recipes!

Why This Recipe is Great:

Texture: The crumbly topping on a crumb cake provides a satisfying slight crunch that helps build the flavor of the fluffy cake base. I love crumb toppings because of the contrast in textures. If you love it too, try this Gluten Free Cranberry Coffee Cake recipe.
Flavor: Crumb cakes typically have a buttery sweet flavor that is incredibly delicious. It is what makes crumb cakes so famous!
Versatility: This gluten free crumb cake can be enjoyed as a breakfast pastry, afternoon snack, or dessert. It is also perfect for sharing and can be served at events, picnics, or other gatherings.
Easy to Make: My crumb cake is easy to make. It tastes as if it came from a bakery. Nobody will know this cake is gluten free.

Ingredient Notes:

Gluten Free Flour Blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work. I just have not tested other flours.
Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add one teaspoon.
Almond Flour - I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your cake grainy. See the Substitutions section for a nut-free option.
Baking Powder - Use aluminum free.
Sugar - I used golden coconut sugar. If you use coconut sugar, it will make your crumb cake golden or brown like mine. You can also use regular sugar, keeping your cake a normal color. Use brown sugar or white sugar for the crumb topping.
Butter - Use unsalted butter
Eggs - Use size large
Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation vanilla.
Almond milk - You can also use regular milk, or other dairy-free milk types will also work

Note using a flour blend I haven't tested may mean you need to tweak the moisture level of your cake batter. You can read more about the best gluten free flour blends to learn more.

Easy Substitutions:

To make this cake nut-free, omit the almond flour and add ¼ cup of additional gluten free flour blend.
To make this crumb cake recipe dairy-free, use plant-based butter.
Swap regular sugar for coconut sugar if you want your cake to be more like the traditional cake. (Note you still use brown sugar for the crumb topping.)
Add blueberries or other berries if you want to change it up.

The top view of a slice of crumb cake next to the cake pan.

Tools For Making Crumb Cake:

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Tips For Success:

When cutting the butter into the crumb topping, make sure your butter is VERY cold. I put my butter into the freezer for 20 minutes before adding it. This will keep the topping crumbly. You can also use a cheese grater to add frozen butter shreds.
Do not use a stand mixer to make this cake. You want to be very careful not to overmix your cake batter, or it will make it dense.
Be sure the oven rack is in the middle of your oven. If your rack is too close to the top, it will melt your crumb topping.

I also have a great Gluten Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide if you want more tips for sucess!

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La Tourangelle, All Purpose Baking Spray, Gluten-Free, No Chemicals. Non-Stick.

Hands down this non-stick spray is amazing. It is totally inexpensive and it will save your gluten free cakes and muffins from sticking!

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Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Dry ingredients in a bowl. The blond coconut sugar is golden colored on top.

Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. See how golden the blond coconut sugar is? It is what gives this gluten free crumb cake its golden tone. As I mentioned earlier, you can use regular sugar if you prefer a lighter color.

Using a whisk to blend the dry ingredients in a large glass bowl.

Step 2: Use a whisk to blend the dry ingredients in the bowl. You want to make sure the dry ingredients are blended thoroughly.

Two raw eggs and vanilla in a glass bowl.

Step 3: Add your wet ingredients to a smaller mixing bowl. Continue to gradually whisk in the hot butter in small increments.

🔑 Sandi says: You want to be careful your melted butter doesn't cook your eggs. If your butter gets hot, you can temper the eggs to protect them. How to temper eggs: Put the eggs in a small bowl. Add some of the hot butter and quickly whisk it in. Repeat and then you can add the rest of the butter to the eggs safely.

The wet ingredients poured over the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Your cake batter will look like this. Again, if you use regular sugar, you will not have this golden-colored cake batter.

Pouring cake batter into an 8x8 baking pan.

Step 5: Pour your batter into a prepared greased 8x8 cake pan. You can also cut parchment paper to fit the cake pan. Use a large spoon to spread out the batter and set the cake aside. It is time to make that thick crumbly topping :-).

Step 6: Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350º F.

The crumb topping ingredients in a bowl.

Step 7: Add the crumb topping ingredients to a bowl. I did use refined organic sugar for this. You can use coconut sugar if you want to stick with unrefined sugars, but it will not melt and crumble quite the same. Whisk to blend the ingredients together.

Using a pastry blender to cut butter into the sugar ingredients.

Step 8: For best results, use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the crumb topping ingredients.

Tip: I like to freeze the crumb topping for 15 minutes before sprinkling it on the cake, but this is optional.

Step 7: Spread the crumb topping over the cake batter. Bake the cake at 350º F for 35-45 minutes until done. The final baking time will vary depending on the size and depth of your cake pan.

Recipe FAQ:

How do you know when the crumb cake is done baking?

To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake needs to bake longer.

How do you know the texture is right in your crumb topping?

You want your mixture to resemble small crumbs when you are done. It can take 5 minutes of using the pastry blender to achieve this.

How do you store a crumb cake?

Store this cake in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It will keep fresh for up to four days. You can also freeze this crumb cake in a freezer bag. Be sure the cake is completely cooled before freezing it.

More Gluten Free Cake Recipes:

Mr. Fearless Dining's family Gluten Free German Apple Cake recipe is also made to be refined sugar-free.
This Gluten Free Devils Food Cake is for my chocolate cake fans.
If you love lemon flavor, this Gluten Free Lemon Sour Cream Cake is a delicious cake to serve.
This Gluten Free Honey Cake is full of delicious flavor!

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This post was updated from an older October 2018 post with more recipe details.

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