Gluten-free Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Most families have one special treat you associate with special family nights. Ours was always my recipe for sour cream coffee cake. We sometimes made it for movie night and sometimes for company. It was really a special treat for our family. We served it warm with coffee or hot tea and some of us fought for the center pieces because they were a little more gooey than the outside pieces. We were really onto gooey.

Tonight, the National Championship FCS Bowl game would be a very good time to make this treat and that is why I am sharing.

I do have a gluten-free version that is just as good and almost as gooey as the wheat version. I have even taken some of the sugar out of this version so it is a little better for you. One caution. Don't equate gluten-free with healthy. This is about the same as a non-gluten free dessert in the healthwise department. The only thing that makes it a little better is that there is that wheat is now engineered to provide more gluten to make it "better" when baking. The problem is that more and more people are finding the "new and improved" varieties are causing more allergies and stomach issues. That is why making a gluten-free version is a good alternative whenever possible.

Here is my not so good for you but gluten-free version of Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

Enjoy!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

The wheat version of this coffee cake was a huge family favorite, and it is the most requested recipe we have. The gluten-free version took a couple of tries, but when it was right it was really right. What does it taste like? It’s kind of like mixing cinnamon rolls and sweet muffins. This recipe includes a batter, a filler, and a glaze, and it is admittedly not our most healthy recipe. You’re going to love it!
Filling
1/4 cup sweet (glutinous) rice flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened

Combine sweet (glutinous) rice flour, sorghum flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Mix well and set aside until the batter is complete.

Batter
1 cup potato starch
3/4 cup sweet (glutinous) rice flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup corn starch
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine potato starch, sweet (glutinous) rice flour, sorghum flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a wire whisk. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and butter and beat until well combined. Add sour cream and vanilla, then pour in the flour mixture and combine well. To 1/4 cup water, add the xanthan gum and stir. Add the xanthan gum and water to the batter and stir well. This mixture doesn’t need too much beating. Hand mixing works well with this recipe.

Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan or baking dish. Using a spoonful of filling at a time, top the batter with the filling. The filling will sink into the cake, and it is better if filling is formed into at least teaspoon-sized pieces and placed all over the top so that each piece will get some of the filling.
Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake is firm on top. Allow cake to cool while mixing the glaze.

Glaze
2 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
At least 1/4 cup of milk or almond milk

Mix the glaze and pour over the top of the warm coffee cake. Makes 12 servings.