You know, I woke up this morning with a real craving. Not for anything too complicated, just something comforting, something that goes perfectly with a cup of coffee. My mind immediately went to coffee cake. The only hiccup? It absolutely had to be gluten-free and dairy-free for me these days. So, I figured, why not try and whip one up? It’s always a bit of an experiment with these dietary needs, but that’s part of the fun, right?
Getting Started with the Basics
First thing I did was rummage through my cupboards. I had to find that gluten-free flour blend I bought a while back – the one that doesn’t taste too much like cardboard, you know the kind. Then, for the ‘dairy’ part, I grabbed my trusty almond milk and that dairy-free butter spread I keep on hand. I find the stick version of that butter works better in baking than the stuff in a tub. Sugar, cinnamon, baking powder – all the usual suspects for a coffee cake were there. Oh, and an egg. Some folks use those flax egg things, but I had a regular egg, so that’s what I went with.
So, I got out a big mixing bowl. I started by chucking in all the dry stuff: the gluten-free flour, some sugar, baking powder (essential for a bit of lift!), and a tiny pinch of salt. Gave that a quick mix with a fork. Nothing fancy here. In a separate, smaller bowl, I melted some of that dairy-free butter in the microwave – just until it was liquid, not boiling. Let it cool down for a minute, then stirred in the almond milk, the egg, and a good splash of vanilla extract. I put vanilla in almost everything I bake; it just makes it better.
Then came the moment of truth – combining the wet and the dry. I poured the milky, eggy mixture into the flour bowl. I mixed it all together, but gently. With gluten-free baking, I’ve learned the hard way that if you beat the heck out of the batter, it can get really tough and dense. So, just mixed until it all came together into a sort of thickish batter. It always looks a bit different from regular wheat flour batter, but I’ve gotten used to that.
The All-Important Crumb Topping
Now, for what I think is the best part of any coffee cake: that lovely, sweet, crumbly topping. You just can’t have coffee cake without it! For this, I took some more of that gluten-free flour, a good amount of brown sugar – I like the flavor it gives – and a generous shake of cinnamon. Then, I dotted in some cold, diced dairy-free butter. I just used my fingers to rub the butter into the flour and sugar mixture. Kept going until it looked like, well, coarse breadcrumbs. It takes a few minutes, and your fingers get a bit messy, but it’s kind of satisfying, that process.
Putting It All Together and Into the Oven
I found an 8×8 inch baking pan – a square one – and greased it up with a bit more of the dairy-free butter. Then I spread about half of the cake batter into the bottom of the pan. It was a bit sticky, so I used the back of a spoon to nudge it into the corners. Over that, I sprinkled about half of my crumb topping mixture. Then, I carefully dolloped the rest of the batter on top of the crumbs and spread it out as evenly as I could. Finally, I scattered the remaining crumb topping all over the top. It looked pretty good, if I do say so myself, all bumpy and ready to bake.
I’d preheated my oven to around 350°F, which is about 175°C. In the cake went. And then, the waiting game. That’s always the hardest part, isn’t it? Especially when the whole kitchen starts to fill up with that warm, cinnamony, baked-good smell. It’s proper torture, but the good kind.
The Moment of Truth and The Verdict
I set a timer for about 30 minutes, but I started checking it a bit before then. Stuck a toothpick into the center, and when it came out clean, I knew it was done. Probably took around 35 minutes in total. I pulled it out of the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for a little while. I mean, I tried to be patient. Emphasis on tried.
Once I decided it had cooled enough (which was probably sooner than it should have been), I cut a slice. Or maybe a square, really. And you know what? It was actually really nice! It was moist, the flavor was good – nice and cinnamony – and that crumb topping was just right. Had it with my mid-morning coffee, and it absolutely hit the spot. It’s a good reminder that even with these gluten and dairy restrictions, you don’t have to miss out on tasty treats.
It wasn’t quite as light and fluffy as some traditional coffee cakes I remember from way back when, but gluten-free bakes often have a slightly different texture. This one was satisfyingly dense in a good way, and honestly, for a homemade, allergy-friendly version, I was pretty chuffed with it. My partner, who can eat anything, even had a piece later and said it was good, so that’s always a bonus win!
So, there you have it. That was my gluten-free, dairy-free coffee cake adventure for the day. Definitely a success and something I’ll be making again when that craving hits. If you’re in a similar boat with food sensitivities, don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. Sometimes the simplest things turn out the best.
