Recipe of the Month--Nut-Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Here it is: my first
"Nut-
Free Recipe of the Month."


While this particular recipe is "nut-free," it does contain dairy and wheat.

I developed this recipe because my family loves coffee cake and this recipe normally contains walnuts for crunch and flavor. Instead, I use a streusel topping that adds flavor and crunch without the nuts. It gets raves and with fall upon us, the cinnamon flavors are appealing.


I welcome allergy-specific modifications to any recipes posted here and also invite you to submit dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free and of course, nut-free recipes. I'll give you full credit and a link to your web site or blog.

Please also note my new link to the right of this post: "The Welcoming Kitchen" under the heading "Nut-Free Food." It's a great new cookbook featuring recipes free from ALL top 8 food allergens. Most are also gluten-free.


Nut-Free Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

Special equipment: a 9-inch tube pan with removable bottom

For the cake:

2/3 plus 1-3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 container (16 oz) sour cream

For the nut-free streusel topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. butter, cold

1. In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients by either rubbing together with your fingers or using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9- to 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. In small bowl, combine 2/3 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and remaining 1-3/4 cups sugar until blended, frequently scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

4. Add flour mixture and sour cream, alternating between the two. Mix until thoroughly combined, but do not overbeat.

5. Spoon 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle about one cup cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over batter, then top with half of remaining batter. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup more cinnamon-sugar mixture; top with remaining batter, then sprinkle with reserved streusel mixture. Sprinkle more cinnamon-sugar over top of streusel if desired, for added sparkle and crunch.

6. Bake coffee cake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. (Check after one hour). Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run thin knife around cake to loosen from side and center tube of pan; lift tube to separate cake from pan side. Invert cake onto plate; slide knife under cake to separate from bottom of pan. Turn cake, streusel side up, onto to wire rack to cool completely. Serves 16.