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This gluten free coffee cake is bursting with Fall flavors! A whole grain apple cider cake infused with cinnamon and nutmeg is generously topped with streusel and then drizzled with a  reduced apple cider glaze. The glaze brings a flavor you’ve never had before! 

This post was sponsored by Vivian’s Live Again. As always, I only work with brands I love and use in my own kitchen. Thank you for supporting Life After Wheat and brands I partner with! This post may also contain affiliate links, please see my full disclosure.

Fall is here and it’s one of my favorite times of year! Don’t you just love the smells and flavors that come with this season? This gluten free coffee cake is packed with the flavor of apple cider, and you’ll LOVE the reduced cider drizzle!

During the Fall months when I was a teenager, I worked for a local corn maze owned by a family friend to earn a little extra money. I worked as cashier selling tickets and concessions while my brother dressed up and scared people inside the haunted part of the maze, it was a great job 🙂

Growing up in the Northwest, the nights can get cold at that time of year and we often worked late. To stay warm I would buy a packet of apple cider when the job was slow and sit against a hay bale while I sipped it and breathed in the smokey and crisp smells of corn stalks, dried leaves, and hay.

I distinctly remember one night when I sat there at closing time and watched the Northern Lights. It’s a sight I’ll never forget. While I love other warm drinks, apple cider remains my favorite because the smell and flavor always remind me of that time of year and all the good memories that went with it.

As a blogger, I often receive gluten free products to try. A few weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting the owner of Vivian’s Live Again at the Gluten Free Expo in SLC, UT. She gave me some of her products to try (we’ve loved all of them), and among those was a package of whole grain muffin mix.

I was drawn to this product because it is made from 9 whole grains and has absolutely no starch. I knew that I wanted to incorporate the taste of apple cider for all the reasons listed above, but I wanted to do something that really stood out.

Finally, I came up with the idea of reducing the apple cider to drizzle on top of a gluten free coffee cake. I had never tried anything like that but decided to give it a shot, and it turned out incredible! {moral of the story, never be afraid to try something new!}

While this gluten free coffee cake is soft and has subtle cues of apple cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg, the reduced apple cider glaze gives a burst of pure, concentrated apple flavor.

We’ve now made this gluten free coffee cake several times and it has become a favorite of our family’s. I also can feel good about it because it has less sugar than most mixes and only whole grain flours. I think you’ll love it too!

Vivian’s Live Again sells a variety of gluten free products, several of which are top 8 free and Vegan. One of these is a dairy free whipped cream mix, and a dollop of that is a great addition to this coffee cake!

A few notes about this recipe:

1. Use real apple cider, not regular apple juice. Also, you can often find a cheap apple cider knock-off on store shelves, but these usually  just taste like apple juice. I suggest investing in a slightly more expensive, authentic apple cider for this recipe to get the full flavor.
2. Waiting to preheat the oven until after mixing the batter allows the gluten free flours to soak up some of the moisture before baking. This gives a smoother texture and softer crumb.

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Apple Cider Coffee Cake

Yield: one 8" coffee cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This gluten free coffee cake is bursting with Fall flavors! A whole grain apple cider cake infused with cinnamon and nutmeg is generously topped with streusel and then drizzled with a reduced apple cider glaze. The glaze brings a flavor you've never had before!

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Ingredients

• 1 package Vivian's Live Again Whole Grain Muffin Mix, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups apple cider, divided (NOT apple juice)
• 3 Tablespoons neutral tasting oil (I used avocado)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup full fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, OR dairy free alternative
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 T softened butter, OR dairy free alternative
• 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

Instructions

FOR THE REDUCED APPLE CIDER GLAZE: (start first)

1. Measure 1 1/2 cups apple cider (not apple juice) into a small saucepan.
2. Heat to a low boil (I turn my burner just above medium) and allow it to simmer and reduce while you're preparing the coffee cake.
3. It will need to boil about 15 minutes and you may want to whisk it once or twice.
4. Keep an eye on it, especially toward the end as you don't want it to scorch or get too thick. The cider will turn a dark amber color and the bubbles will start to look thick and sticky. It is done when you remove it from the heat and it's a thick maple syrup consistency, about as thick as the store-bought syrup, not the natural maple. It should now be about 1 1/2-2 T, and your kitchen will smell Ah-mazing!

FOR THE CAKE:

1. Pour contents of muffin mix into a large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Spoon and level 2/3 cup of the mix into a small bowl for the streusel and set the small bowl aside. There will be about 2 cups of mix remaining in the large bowl.
2. To the large bowl, add cinnamon, remaining 1 cup of the apple cider, oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
3. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, then pour into a well greased round cake pan.
4. Preheat oven to 375.

FOR STREUSEL TOPPING:

1. While oven is preheating, mix reserved 2/3 cup muffin mix, 3 T softened butter, and brown sugar with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

BAKE:

1. When oven is preheated, sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes. I pulled mine out at 27 minutes. A toothpick inserted in center should come out pretty much clean. Let the cake cool on a rack. You can remove it to a serving plate or just serve it from the pan, and feel free to serve warm, just allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes.
2. Once it's cooled for 5 minutes, whisk your reduced apple cider until it's smooth and transfer to a sturdy Ziploc bag or cake decorator bag.
3. Snip a small amount off one of the corners and squeeze to drizzle the reduced cider over the cake.
4. Slice and serve! This cake tastes great with whipped cream and is best served fresh.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Ancient Grain Muffin & Bread Mix, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free by Vivian's Live Again- 2 Pk
• 
  USA Pan Bakeware Round Cake Pan, 9 inch, Nonstick & Quick Release Coating, 9-Inch,Aluminized Steel

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 89mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 0gSugar: 15gProtein: 5g

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