Gluten-Free "Cider and Donuts" Coffee Cake (Wheat, Fish and Nut-Free, Can Be Soy, Milk and Egg-Free)

It is now officially fall!  I don't know about you, but around here, you know it's fall when you find cider and donuts everywhere.  You can't get a better autumnal combo, if I do say so myself.  So, to honor that tradition, I decided to come up with a sweet treat featuring them that was also gluten-free for my kiddos who can't have gluten.  This is the result!

This recipe is a variation on my Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake recipe.  I promise you, this recipe tastes like eating cinnamon sugar donuts with apple cider...though in a gooey, yummy coffee cake way!  If that's your thing, you will LOVE this recipe!  It tastes best when eaten at room temperature or even a little cold (brings out more of the apple flavor), so you'll have to fight the urge to eat it fresh out of the oven.  It is worth the wait, though!

This recipe is also wheat, fish and nut-free, and can be soy-free (if you use all soy-free ingredients), milk and egg-free (see variations).  I hope you enjoy it!

Note: The gluten-free flour and baking mix I recommend do not technically contain soy, but the one contains xanthan gum and the other contains guar gum (see "Soy-Free" under variations for more details) which can cause issues for people with soy sensitivities or allergies, and that is why I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free.

Gluten-Free "Cider and Donuts" Coffee Cake 

Cake portion:

3 Cups gluten-free flour blend or baking mix 
(I recommend Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Cup white sugar

4 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

1 1/2 Cups apple cider

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract

1/2 Cup full-fat, salted butter, melted

Topping/Filling portion: 

1 Cup full-fat, salted butter, softened 

1/2 Cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 Cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons gluten-free flour blend or baking mix 
(I recommend Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix)

1/2 to 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 teaspoon) (optional)

Glaze portion:  

2 Cups gluten-free powdered sugar

6 Tablespoons apple cider

pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 teaspoon) (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350^oF.
     
2. Grease a 9x13 glass baking pan with butter and set aside.
      
3. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients from the cake portion except melted butter until well combined, then mix in the melted butter until well combined and scoop cake portion into the prepared 9x13 glass baking pan, spreading it out evenly in the pan.
     
4. In another large bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping/filling portion until well combined and creamy.  (Note: The salt in this portion is optional.  I like adding it to make the sweetness pop, but some think it's overkill, so follow your personal preference here.  Also, the amount of cinnamon is based on personal preference.  I preferred it with the 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon, but if you love a lot of cinnamon flavor, you may want to use the full Tablespoon.)
     
5. Drop the topping/filling portion evenly over the cake portion by tablespoonfuls, and then use a knife to swirl the topping/filling portion through the cake portion.  It should look marbled when you are finished.
     
6. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center comes out nearly clean. (Note: The toothpick/cake tester will never come out completely clean due to the nature of this particular cake, and you wouldn't want it to as your cake would be completely overcooked at that point.  You are looking for the parts of the cake that don't have the topping/filling swirled into it to be done - it should look like baked cake, not like cake batter.  If it looks like that and the toothpick/cake tester are coming out nearly clean, you're good to go!)
     
7. While the cake is baking, mix all the ingredients for the glaze portion in a medium bowl with a whisk until well combined. (Note: The salt in this portion is also optional.  I like adding it to make the sweetness pop, but some think it's overkill, so follow your personal preference here.)
     
8. When the cake it done, immediately drizzle the glaze over top of the cake. (Note: Pouring the glaze over top of the hot cake causes the glaze to melt into the cake and adds to it's gooey texture.  If you don't wish it to be quite that gooey, wait to add the glaze until the cake has cooled to just warm instead - about 10 minutes.)

Enjoy this cake at room temperature or slightly chilled for best results.  One recipe makes 12 generous portions or up to 24 small servings.

Variations (Please keep your individual dietary needs in mind when using variations):

• Milk-Free: Use non-dairy butter of your choice in place of the butter in this recipe.  I do not recommend using oil for the butter unless you wanted to use coconut oil, though.  A solid fat is needed, so you could even use lard if you choose in place of the butter.
    
• Egg-Free: Use an egg replacer in place of the eggs.  For ideas on what to use in place of the eggs, check out my ingredient substitutions page.  The flax seed "egg" or applesauce replacement would be a good fit with this cake.
   
• Soy-Free: Neither Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix claim to contain soy, but Pamela's contains guar gum and King Arthur Flour's contains xanthan gum, which can cause issues with people who have soy sensitivities and allergies, and hence the reason I won't claim this recipe is soy-free already.  You can use regular flour (if you can have it) or a soy-free, gluten-free flour of your choice.  Keep in mind that if your blend doesn't contain guar gum or xanthan gum, you may need to add between 3/4 to 3 teaspoons of ground flax seed, guar gum or xanthan gum to help with textural issues, too.  You'll have to make sure all your ingredients are soy-free, too.
          
  
• Less Sweet By Reducing Topping/Filling: If you find this coffee cake too sweet as is, you can reduce the topping/filling portion by half, and still bake and prepare as directed.  You may want to check the cake earlier (I'd say to start checking around 20 to 25 minutes, and then every 5 minutes after that until done if needed) to see if it is done earlier, though.

 So good, I promise!

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)