GF Raspberry Coffee Cake

Never have been so proud of something I baked! I had raspberries that desperately needed to be eaten and no clue what to make. The recipe I wanted to try called for scale, which I don’t have. I considered pound cakes and loaf recipes before stumbling onto a rhubarb strawberry coffee cake recipe by Nicole Hunn that looked promising. Promising, because it accounted somewhat for the moisture in the fruit so it was a solid place to start. And wow! The results were amazing. (Picture just doesn't do it justice!)

I am a little embarrassed to admit that I ate 3 large pieces the first night. Sometimes your baking is best fresh, but this cake was just as good, if not better, the following afternoon! I took it into work to share with my GF colleague and my two coffee break buddies. They loved it too. They only knew it was gluten-free because I made it. 

This recipe is what all gluten-free baking should be. It was awesome, and not just “good, for gluten-free.” It was moist without being soggy.

Gluten-free Raspberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• CRUMBLE TOPPING
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (or dairy-free spread), softened
• 1/2 cup fine white rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• FRUIT RIBBON
• About 2 cups fresh raspberries, washed and dried
• 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup white rice flour
• BATTER
• 2 cups gluten-free flour mix
• 3/4 cup white rice flour
• 3/4 cup tapioca starch or cornstarch
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup margarine, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt, buttermilk, or sour milk
• 6 extra-large eggs

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9”X13” pan.

Combine all of the Crumble topping ingredients. Blend with a fork until well-combined. It will have the consistency of cookie dough. Place in the refrigerator until directed to use.

Wash fruit gently and set aside to dry on a paper towel. Do this well in advance so that your berries have minimal moisture on them. I used about 2 cups of raspberries. I didn’t measure because they were fresh and very soft. I didn’t want to crush them more than necessary. You need enough for a single layer in your cake pan, occasionally touching but not thick from edge to edge. You can also measure and set aside the 6 Tbsp brown sugar and 1/2 cup of flour at this time if desired. I don’t use commercial flour mixes, but you could.

To make the cake batter: In the bowl of a counter top mixer, combine the 2 cups flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl, and whisk to combine. I highly recommend the using the mix ratio suggested. Potato starch is my new favorite baking friend- it makes everything turn out moist and more like gluten-filled cakes and breads.  *Potato flour and starch is not the same thing, and they are NOT interchangeable.

Add the butter, vegetable shortening, and sour milk, and mix. My margarine is GF and casein free; and I used lactose free milk with about a tablespoon of lemon juice in it. Adjust to suit your dietary needs.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Turn up the mixer and let it run for a few minutes. The batter should spread easily- be thick but workable.

Scrape the about 2/3 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan, and spread evenly. Dust half the reserved flour over the batter. This is to help keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the pan. Layer the raspberries on top the cake batter. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the berries and dust with the remaining flour. Pour the reserved batter over the fruit evenly and use a spatula to ensure it is all covered. Make sure you save enough batter to cover from edge to edge! (I don’t recommend using less than 2/3 on the bottom because the fruit will sink quite a bit.)

Immediately place the pan in the center of the preheated oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cake should be no more than lightly browned on top at the end of this baking period. Remove the crumble topping from the refrigerator, and fluff with a fork. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle with the crumble topping in an even layer. My crumble resembled cookie dough so I used a spoon and my finger to drop small lumps evenly over the top of the cake. Cake should be firm enough that it doesn’t collapse from the weight at this stage.

Return the pan to the oven, and bake for another 20 minutes, until the topping is cooked and a little crisp.

Remove from the oven, and allow it to cool completely in the pan before removing the cake from the pan. Slice into squares with a serrated knife.