Gluten Free Hazelnut Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I couldn’t resist trying this Gluten Free Hazelnut Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe on the weekend.  It just looked so good!

 And good it was. It was moist and flavorful, and the texture very closely resembled that of a cake made with wheat flour.  I took it to Church to share and got very positive reviews!

It has a crunchy, sweet filling that is swirled into the batter and makes this the perfect accompaniment to your favorite hot (old cold) beverage.

I found this recipe in one of my go-to cook books,  Back To Baking: 200 Timeless Recipies To Bake, Share And Enjoy by Anna Olson.  In fact there is an entire chapter dedicated to gluten free baking. with over 20 recipes!

To make this coffee cake begin by combining 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl.  In a large mixing bowl combine 1 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato flour, 1/4 cup tapioca starch, 2 teaspoons xanthan gum, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  In another bowl combine 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 3 eggs, 1 3/4 cups buttermilk and 2 teaspoons vanilla.  Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined (I got ahead of myself and did not photograph this step, but the batter will be quite thick).  Spoon about two thirds of the batter into a greased bundt pan, top with the brown sugar/nut mixture and using a butter knife swirl it into the batter a bit. Top with remaining batter and swirl some more!

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before flipping it out onto a cool rack to cool completely.

If you notice the dark golden color around the edges of the cake, that will give you an idea of what the cake’s surface will look like when you flip it out of the pan!  It will keep, well wrapped, for about 2 days or it can be frozen for up to three months.  Do not refrigerate this cake.

Serve it up with a bit of whipping cream if you wish, but it is delicious all on its’ own!

The buttermilk gives it a slightly tangy taste balanced nicely by the sugary sweet hazelnut filling.

I have always been resistant to try gluten free desserts, but not anymore!

Enjoy!