Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake (Gluten-Free)

Most coffee cakes start with all-purpose flour and keep all the crumb topping on top. This one is built on almond flour, with a little tapioca flour to hold it together, and the cinnamon pecan streusel goes in twice: once through the middle and once on top. That gives a gluten-free cake with a ribbon of crunchy, buttery crumbs in every slice instead of only on the surface.

Almond flour also makes the crumb moister and more tender than wheat flour does, which suits a breakfast cake meant to last a few days. Tart fresh cranberries and orange zest cut through the richness, and the batter is sweetened with maple syrup. It bakes in an 8-inch square pan and cuts into nine generous squares for a holiday brunch, a weekend breakfast or an afternoon coffee.

Ingredients

For the cinnamon streusel

• 2/3 cup (75 g) almond flour – forms the sandy base of the crumbs.
• 3/4 cup (85 g) pecans, chopped – the crunch; sliced almonds work too.
• 2/3 cup (about 100 g) coconut sugar – a caramel-like sweetness; light brown sugar can replace it.
• 5 tbsp melted coconut oil or butter – binds the crumbs into clusters.
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

For the cake

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature – they give the cake its structure, since there is no gluten.
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) melted coconut oil or butter – keeps the crumb moist.
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) pure maple syrup – sweetens and adds moisture.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• 2 cups (224 g) blanched almond flour – finely ground flour gives a lighter cake than almond meal.
• 1/2 cup (60 g) tapioca flour, plus 1 teaspoon for the cranberries – lightens the crumb and helps it hold together.
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt.
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest, from about 1 large orange.
• 1 cup (100 g) fresh cranberries, halved – frozen berries work straight from the freezer.

Optional orange glaze

• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar whisked with 2 to 3 tsp orange juice – a thin drizzle for the top. Leave it off for a less sweet cake.

If you like cranberry and orange together at breakfast, our glazed cranberry orange scones use the same pairing with a wheat flour dough.

How to Make It

1. Heat the oven and line the pan – 350°F (175°C)

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving some overhang on two sides so you can lift the cake out later. The parchment should sit flat in the corners with no folds pressing into the batter.

2. Make the streusel

In a small bowl, mix the almond flour, pecans, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt, then stir in the melted coconut oil or butter. It should look like damp sand and clump into small clusters when pressed between your fingers.

3. Mix the wet ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, melted coconut oil or butter, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth. If you use coconut oil, make sure the eggs are not cold, or the oil will firm up into small flecks.

4. Add the dry ingredients

In a second bowl, whisk the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add them to the wet ingredients and stir until no dry patches remain, then stir in the orange zest. The batter will be thick and spreadable, closer to a soft cookie dough than a pourable cake batter.

5. Fold in the cranberries

Toss the halved cranberries with 1 teaspoon of tapioca flour, then fold them gently into the batter. The light coating helps keep the berries suspended in the cake instead of sinking to the bottom.

6. Layer the batter and streusel

Spread half the batter in the pan and sprinkle with half the streusel. Spoon the remaining batter over the top in small dollops, spread it gently, and finish with the rest of the streusel. Small spoonfuls are easier to spread without dragging up the streusel layer underneath.

7. Bake covered, then uncovered – 30 minutes plus 15 to 20 minutes

Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more. The cake is done when the edges are golden, the center feels set when lightly pressed and a toothpick in the middle comes out clean; an instant-read thermometer should read about 190°F (88°C).

8. Cool and glaze – at least 30 minutes

Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment. Drizzle with the glaze, if using, and cut into nine squares. An almond flour cake is fragile while hot and firms up as it cools, so give it the full time before cutting.

Baking with Almond Flour

Almond flour behaves differently from wheat flour, and two steps in this recipe exist because of that.

The foil. Almond flour contains natural oils and some sugar, so it browns faster than wheat flour. The streusel, with its sugar and pecans, browns faster still. Covering the pan for the first half of baking lets the center cook through before the top gets too dark.

The tapioca flour. With no gluten to build structure, a cake made with almond flour alone can be dense and crumbly. A small amount of tapioca flour gives it a lighter texture and helps the squares hold together when sliced.

If you are thinking about swapping flours, this guide shows what to expect:

Almond flour is naturally gluten-free, but if you are baking for someone with celiac disease, check that your almond flour, tapioca flour and baking powder are labeled gluten-free, since they can be processed alongside wheat. This cake is not suitable for anyone with a tree nut allergy.

For another breakfast cake made without wheat flour, try our flourless oatmeal apple cake.

Storing and Freezing

Keep the cake covered at room temperature for the first day. After that, move it to the refrigerator, where it keeps for up to 4 days; let slices come to room temperature or warm them briefly before serving.

For longer storage, freeze it. The Clemson Cooperative Extension advises wrapping cakes tightly once they come out of the pan and keeping the freezer at 0°F or below. Freeze the cake unglazed, whole or in individual squares, and thaw it wrapped at room temperature; add the glaze after thawing.

With a cup of coffee and a slice of our cranberry bread with orange glaze alongside, it makes an easy make-ahead brunch spread.

Variations

• Dairy-free: use coconut oil in both the cake and the streusel, and skip the glaze or make it with orange juice only, as written.
• Blueberry: replace the cranberries with fresh blueberries and swap the orange zest for lemon zest.
• Sliced almond topping: use sliced almonds instead of pecans in the streusel for a lighter crunch.
• Spiced: add 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger and nutmeg to the dry ingredients.

For more cranberry desserts for the holidays, our crustless cranberry pie is another easy option, and you will find more ideas among our breakfast recipes.

Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

A gluten-free almond flour coffee cake with fresh cranberries, orange zest and a cinnamon pecan streusel layered through the middle and on top.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Cooling Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings: 9 squares

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Calories: 580

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the cinnamon streusel

• 2/3 cup almond flour 75 g
• 3/4 cup pecans 85 g, chopped; or sliced almonds
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar about 100 g; or light brown sugar
• 5 tbsp coconut oil or butter melted
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt

For the cake

• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup coconut oil or butter 120 ml, melted
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 120 ml
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups blanched almond flour 224 g
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour 60 g, plus 1 tsp for the cranberries
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
• 1 cup fresh cranberries 100 g, halved

Optional orange glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar 60 g
• 2-3 tsp orange juice

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
2. Make the streusel: mix the almond flour, pecans, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt, then stir in the melted coconut oil or butter until clumpy.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, melted coconut oil or butter, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.
4. Whisk the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, add to the wet ingredients and stir until combined, then stir in the orange zest.
5. Toss the halved cranberries with 1 teaspoon of tapioca flour and fold them into the batter.
6. Spread half the batter in the pan and sprinkle with half the streusel. Top with the remaining batter in small dollops, spread gently, and finish with the rest of the streusel.
7. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean (about 190°F / 88°C).
8. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, lift out by the parchment, drizzle with the glaze if using, and cut into 9 squares.

Notes

Storage: keep covered at room temperature for the first day, then refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freeze unglazed, tightly wrapped; thaw wrapped at room temperature.

Make-ahead: mix the streusel a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge.

Substitutions: butter for coconut oil; arrowroot for tapioca flour; light brown sugar for coconut sugar; sliced almonds for pecans. Do not swap in coconut flour or all-purpose flour.

Gluten-free when made with ingredients labeled gluten-free. Contains tree nuts. Nutrition is an estimate without the glaze, not a laboratory analysis.