The very BEST gluten-free coffee cake

A cookbook from my collection

Nearly two years ago, I stopped eating wheat.  No, I don't have celiac disease, nor has a doctor ever told me I'm gluten intolerant.  I stopped eating wheat as an experiment, just to see if it helped me to feel better.  It did, within just a couple of weeks.  The inflamed feeling I'd had in my stomach for a long time went away.  And then, within a couple of months, the pain in my hips and shoulders had also gone away.  That was enough for me to leave wheat out of my diet on a pretty much permanent basis.  I just feel better without it.

At first, I didn't bother with learning how to bake gluten free.  I just didn't eat anything with wheat or barley in it.  I didn't want to buy a bunch of expensive ingredients and go to the trouble of learning a new way to bake if this experiment didn't work out.  By now, though, I've learned to make gluten-free all-purpose flour and I am doing a lot more baking than I did.  I like to keep my GF baked goods in the freezer and just pull out a muffin, a cupcake, or a cookie as needed.

Back at Easter time, I found this amazing blog: The Baking Beauties  while searching for a gluten-free cinnamon roll recipe.  I found this recipe: Best Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls  and it is absolutely fantastic.

So, when I was craving coffee cake a couple of months ago, I revisited Jeanine at The Baking Beauties .  Her site did not let me down!  I just wanted a simple, plain coffee cake with a yummy, crunchy streusel topping.  And this is the recipe I found:  gluten free cinnamon bun cake</>.  It is, quite simply, the perfect gluten free coffee cake.  Exactly what I was looking for.  The cake is nicely textured and the topping is absolutely wonderful.  I cut it in squares and freeze it, then microwave a square for 30 seconds when I want coffee cake.  My hubby loves this cake too and comments that one would never know it is gluten free.  He's right!

I should note that I have never added the icing drizzle on top.  I think the coffee cake is just perfect without it.

I have also made a variation of this cake by sprinkling fresh blueberries on the top before adding the topping.  I'm sure it would be good with raspberries or apples as well, maybe even peaches.  A keeper recipe for sure!