Easy Coffee Cake with Cappuccino Frosting (Gluten Free)
Easy Coffee Cake with Cappuccino Frosting is a moist, gluten-free coffee and walnut sponge cake topped with a rich, fluffy cappuccino whipped cream frosting, perfect for coffee lovers.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 38 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking and Whipping
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Coffee Cake
120 g (½ cup) whole milk
15 g (3 ½ tbsp) instant coffee granules
140 g (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
100 g (½ cup) light brown soft sugar
75 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
180 g (1 ½ cups) plain gluten-free flour blend
60 g (½ cup + 1 ½ tbsp) ground walnuts
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp xanthan gum (omit if flour blend contains it)
¼ tsp salt
For the Cappuccino Whipped Cream Frosting
300 g (1 ⅓ cups) double/heavy cream
18 g (2 ½ tbsp) cappuccino powder
2 g (1 ½ tsp) instant coffee granules
120 g (1 cup) icing/powdered sugar (adjust sweetness to taste)
Chocolate shavings for decoration
Instructions
For the Coffee Cake
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch round cake tin with parchment paper.
- Heat milk and instant coffee granules until dissolved; cool to room temperature.
- Cream butter with both sugars and vanilla until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Sift gluten-free flour, ground walnuts, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
- Alternately add dry ingredients (in three parts) and coffee milk (in two parts) to butter mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients; mix until smooth.
- Pour batter into tin and smooth top.
- Bake 38-40 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean; cover with foil if browning too fast.
- Cool in tin 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
For the Cappuccino Whipped Cream Frosting
- Heat ⅓ cup cream with cappuccino powder and instant coffee until dissolved; cool completely.
- Whisk remaining cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
- Fold coffee-cream mixture into whipped cream until smooth and fluffy.
Assemble
- Spread frosting evenly over cooled cake with decorative swirls.
- Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Substitute walnuts with almonds or pecans for nut variations.
Add cinnamon or cardamom for a warm spice twist.
Use dairy-free milk and cream for dairy-free version.
Add chocolate chips or drizzle chocolate sauce for extra indulgence.
Store airtight in fridge for 3-4 days; serve chilled or room temperature.
Freeze unfrosted cake up to 2 months; thaw before frosting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
