Dried fruit such as dates, apricots, raisins, cherries, and other currants, accompanied by nuts, make this gluten free coffee cake recipe a real treat. I enjoy using dates, but you can use any plump currants. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
A moist, currant and date gluten free coffee cake sure to please your guests and family. Keep some frozen for unexpected occasions.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing dish
- 1/2 cup dates (appx. 17 packaged dates*)
- 1/4 cup reserved cake mix
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (or Earth Balance dairy-free spread), extremely softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk (or cashew milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 dry mix recipe *Copycat Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix without baking soda
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (or GF whipped cream) (optional)
Instructions:
- Butter a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Set aside. If using packaged dates (drier than medjool dates), cover with water and soak overnight. Or pour boiling water over them and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Alternatively, microwave covered with room temperature water for 30 seconds and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the dry cake ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Add 3 tablespoons butter, dates, 1/4 cup cake mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a food processor, but reserve 2 tablespoons nuts. Pulse until combined, without fully puréing the mixture. Evenly spread onto the bottom of the prepared dish.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of your high-powered stand mixer, beat cake mix, milk, butter, and eggs just until combined on low speed. Then beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Distribute batter over date mixture in dish.
- Bake on center shelf of oven for 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve warm or allow to cool completely and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. You may also serve this coffee cake upside down.
Tips
*If using medjool dates, since they are larger, you will use fewer. However, because they are plump and soft, there is no need to rehydrate them in hot water.
If you use pecan or walnut halves, you can add them to the food processor after you pulse the filling ingredients. Then pulse the nuts into the filling a few times, just long enough to chop them.