Holiday-Worthy Gluten Free Coffee Cake with Cranberries

There’s something undeniably comforting about the aroma of freshly baked pastries wafting through your home, especially on a crisp morning. A delicious cranberry sour cream gluten free coffee cake is the perfect treat to start your day or share with friends over a cup of steaming coffee. This moist and flavorful cake boasts the delightful combination of a cranberry swirl, and a crumbly nut topping that will tantalize your taste buds.

Beth Shaw’s Famous Cranberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

But before we go any further, you should know that this recipe comes from my husband’s beloved, late first cousin (once removed), Elizabeth Shaw. She was from Massachusetts where cranberries are a thing. Cousin Beth, who passed away in June, was famous for this coffee cake, and it was even printed in a local recipe book. I want to ensure that her legacy lives on, in small part at least, with her delicious recipe.

To know Beth Shaw was to be fed by her, most likely with company casserole, turkey tetrazzini, or cranberry sour cream coffee cake, which she made for friends and neighbors in times of joy or sorrow. 

How to Make the Gluten Free Coffee Cake of Your Dreams!

This cranberry sour cream coffee cake is an irresistible blend of sweet, tart, and creamy flavors. Of course, I’ve adapted it to be gluten free (it works really well with an all purpose gluten free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1). The cranberries burst with a delightful pop of tanginess, perfectly complemented by the richness of the sour cream and nutty topping. The cake’s moist and tender crumb is a testament to the magic of sour cream in baking, keeping the cake irresistibly moist and soft. Here’s what you’re going to need to make it!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound of butter (one stick), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup cranberry sauce, (recipe below if you happen to have cranberries, but canned is great too)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are great here)
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

For the Cranberry Sauce

• 1 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked through for stems
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 cinnamon stick

For the Icing

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon milk or water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 or 9″ tube pan with gluten free cooking spray.
2. If you’re making your own cranberry sauce, start with this to give it time to cool. Put all ingredients for cranberry sauce in a medium skillet. Bring to a simmer, watching the heat to make sure it’s a mild, not a vigorous simmer. Cook until the cranberries burst and the sauce is thickened and shiny. Remove from heat and cool to room temp. Remove the cinnamon stick and rosemary before serving.
3. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add the extracts.
4. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir so it’s just barely mixed together. Add the sour cream and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
5. Put in a layer of half of the batter and smooth with a spatula. Add half of the cranberry sauce, by the tablespoon. Swirl with a knife. Add the remaining batter and smooth it down. Top with the remaining cranberry sauce and swirl. Top with the chopped nuts and turbinado sugar.
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and carefully lift cake out of pan to a cooling rack.
7. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the gluten free coffee cake.

How to Serve this Gluten Free Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is a versatile treat that can be enjoyed in various ways. It’s an ideal breakfast companion, a satisfying snack, or a delightful dessert. You can even warm up a slice and pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra-special treat.

Cousin Beth’s cranberry sour cream coffee cake is a delightful creation that promises to satisfy your sweet tooth with a burst of tangy cranberry goodness. Its moist texture, coupled with the irresistible nutty topping, makes it a standout addition to your baking repertoire. So, why not whip up this delectable delight for your family or friends? After all, there’s nothing quite like the joy of sharing a homemade coffee cake with loved ones over a cup of coffee. Especially during the holidays! Cousin Beth would be so thrilled you are continuing her tradition.

More holiday worthy gluten free breakfast ideas:

• An Easy Recipe for Gluten-Free Coffee Cake Muffins
• The Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Loaf Cake
• A Beautiful Recipe for Gluten Free Cranberry Bread – with Cranberry Glaze

Did you make this gluten free coffee cake recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and star rating below (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐). It means a lot and helps my content get seen! Post a picture and tag us on Instagram using the hashtags #agirldefloured #deflouredrecipes! Thank you!

Gluten Free Coffee Cake with Cranberries

Alison Needham

There's something undeniably comforting about the aroma of freshly baked pastries wafting through your home, especially on a crisp morning. This delicious cranberry sour cream gluten free coffee cake is the perfect treat to start your day or share with friends over a cup of steaming coffee. This moist and flavorful cake boasts the delightful combination of a cranberry swirl, and a crumbly nut topping that will tantalize your taste buds.

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Calories 406 kcal

Equipment

• 8 or 9" tube pan

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1/4 pound butter (one stick), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup cranberry sauce canned is great, though there is an easy recipe below
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts walnuts or pecans are great here
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

For the Icing

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon milk or water

For the Cranberry sauce

• 1 cup fresh cranberries rinsed and picked clean
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 sprig rosemary

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 or 9″ tube pan with gluten free cooking spray.
• If you're making your own cranberry sauce, start with this to give it time to cool. Put all ingredients for cranberry sauce in a medium skillet. Bring to a simmer, watching the heat to make sure it's a mild, not a vigorous simmer. Cook until the cranberries burst and the sauce is thickened and shiny. Remove from heat and cool to room temp. Remove the cinnamon stick and rosemary before serving.
• Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add the extracts.
• Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir so it’s just barely mixed together. Add the sour cream and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Put in a layer of half of the batter and smooth with a spatula. Add half of the cranberry sauce, by the tablespoon. Swirl with a knife. Add the remaining batter and smooth it down. Top with the remaining cranberry sauce and swirl. Top with the chopped nuts and turbinado sugar.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and carefully lift cake out of pan to a cooling rack.
• Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the gluten free coffee cake.

Video

Notes

Cake keeps well, wrapped in plastic, for a few days at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 320mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 3gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 484IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cranberry coffee cake, gluten free coffee cake, gluten free cranberry coffee cake, gluten free sour cream coffee cake, sour cream cranberry coffee cake

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