Coffee Cake with Pecan Crumble
Dairy-Free Coffee Cake
Now, I would never tell you how you should drink your coffee. But I will, as a scientist, therapist, and a friend, strongly recommend pairing it with a slice of this dairy free coffee cake.
Ah, coffee cake. The cake that contains no coffee but often more than a hint of dairy in the forms of butter and sour cream. This tender cake with a crumb topping that also sneaks in the middle, this cake pairs beautifully with your morning or afternoon coffee. Dressed up with a pecan topping, it also holds its place at a holiday dessert table.
I aim to demonstrate that this delicious and versatile coffee cake can be made free of any form of dairy and can still be dreamily tender and worthy of pride.
Hypothesis 1) Substitution of margarine for butter in a 1:1 ratio will be sufficient for the reverse creaming method.
Hypothesis 2) A pecan crumble topping will add a certain
je ne sais quoi
for your festive celebrations (though definitely do be clear if there are nut allergies involved).
Method
Recipe source:
Once again, I am sorry to report that I do not know to whom I should credit this recipe. My sister copied out the cake recipe for me, so I always credited it to her. She has no recollection of this, but alas it is in her handwriting. If you recognize it, please let me know so that I can cite my sources appropriately. Similarly, I did not keep track of where I got the pecan crumble topping from. In the meantime, I will provide the full ingredient lists and the directions with my tips and modifications.
Ingredients:
Batter:
2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter/margarine/shortening*
1 egg
3/4 cup "milk"**
1/2 tsp vanilla
Topping Option 1: Regular Crumb Topping
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter/margarine/shortening
Topping Option 2: Pecan Crumb Topping
1 cup toasted pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
4 T melted butter/margarine/coconut oil
Dairy-Free Modifications:
*Butter/Margarine/Shortening: In this post from 2023, I used Imperial brand stick margarine. In an update in the fall of 2024, I used Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks made with avocado oil. Read on for results!
**Milk: In this post from 2023, I used an almond beverage from Trader Joe’s. In my fall of 2024 update, I used Barista Lovers Oatmilk from the brand Planet Oat.
Procedures
1. Make the topping. (Don't worry, this is not a Great British Bake Off technical challenge. I'll elaborate).
1a. Topping option 1: Mix together in bowl and set aside. A pastry cutter can help with this task.
1b. Topping option 2: Process toasted pecans and sugar, about 10 seconds to fine. I did this in a blender so it was a little more difficult than it may have been in a food processor, but we got there. You want fine crumbs, but not nut butter. Add in the rest of dry the ingredients, and pulse a few times. Then add the wet ingredients, and pulse 8-10 times until it became clumps. Set aside.
Fig 1. Toasty pecans.
Fig 2-3. Crumble pecans and sugar together.
Fig 4-5. Add dry ingredients and attempt to process.
Fig 6. Finally.
2. Prepare your the cake batter.
2a. First, mix up the dry ingredients.
Fig 7. White powders.
2b. Next, mix in the butter/margarine/shortening until it is crumbly.
Fig 8-9.
2c. Then, pour a beaten egg into a 1 cup measuring cup, then add your milk or milk substitute until ti is full.
Fig 10-11. Looks like dairy, but it isn't.
2d. Add the mixture and the vanilla to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
Fig 12-13. Note the tiny flecks of "butter" still in the mixture. This is key.
3. Assemble and bake.
3a. Prepare your baking pan. I coated a circular pan with vegetable oil, then lined with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom, then coated in vegetable oil again before powdering with flour to the best of my ability.
3b. Pour in about half of the batter and swirl around gently to coat the pan.
3c. Add approximately half of the topping mixture. I err on the side of less than half, so I have more for the pretty top.
3d. Pour in the rest of the batter on top, and smooth out a bit if needed.
3e. Crumble on top the rest of the topping mixture.
3f. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 25-30 minutes. Mine was perfect at 30.
Fig 14. It's getting hot in here.
3g. Remove it from the oven when it begins to look set, is pulling away slightly at the edges, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let it rest in the pan as it firms, then remove to cool completely. I topped mine with some drizzle for looks, but it certainly does not need it for taste.
Fig 15-16. Looking cool.
Results
Velvety, tender, and subtly cinnamon-y and pecan-y, this is absolutely a winner.
Update from Fall of 2024:
Using the same recipe but swapping out oatmilk for almond milk, and Country Crock avocado oil sticks instead of Imperial brand, the coffee cake was still delicious. This recipe also used Topping #1.
My esteemed Reviewer #1 found the texture lighter and fluffier than expected when it was fresh out of the oven, and slightly less sweet than desired.
However, upon resubmission the next day, Reviewer #1 found it to be the right texture and taste.
Discussion
This recipe consistently yields a deliciously tender, velvety, rich yet light, and warmly scented cake, all without any trace of dairy or milk.
Dairy free modifications
To make this recipe dairy free, take note of the recommended substitutions in the ingredients:
For Topping Option 1, instead of butter, I recommend margarine or shortening. As indicated above, I have tested this with Imperial brand margarine and Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks with avocado oil.
For Topping Option 2, instead of butter, I recommend margarine or coconut oil, since we melt it first.
For the batter, instead of butter, I recommend margarine or shortening (with results highlighted for Imperial and Country Crock brands of stick margarine). I have not tested it myself but I would be apprehensive about whether coconut oil could be solid enough for creaming.
For the batter, instead of milk, you can use a milk substitute of choice here. I used almond milk, which shows that you do not necessarily need an especially creamy or thick option here. In the fall 2024 update, I used a creamier oat milk.
There was no sour cream in this recipe, so we did not need to find a substitute for that!
Other allergen modifications
To make this cake nut free, use Topping Option #1, and use a milk substitute such as soy, oat, or rice milk
To make this cake egg free, you can probably use an egg substitute such as a flax egg or vegan egg since it only requires one egg. However, I have not personally tried this.
Storage
You probably won't keep this around for long, but in case you want to make it in advance of an event, coffee cake does freeze well. This is why you often see coffee cakes sold in cafes and they can be shipped nationally.
Why does this recipe work?
One of the tricks this recipe employs is the
. Often in cakes, you first cream up the butter/butter substitute and sugar by beating them together, then adding in the remaining wet and dry ingredients. Here, we reversed that order by adding the butter/butter substitute to the dry ingredients, mixing until crumbly, then adding in the remaining liquid ingredients. Essentially, this method allows the butter or butter substitute to coat the flour (see Figures 9 and 13). This limits gluten development, which would otherwise potentially make our cake too tough. Gluten development is awesome in breads, but not so much in soft cakes. The result is slightly more dense, but with a tender and velvety texture. This method also works great for poke cakes and layer cakes.
All of this helps us overcome the challenge of not including sour cream in our coffee cake. Replicating the texture of sour cream can be difficult when you are trying to bake dairy free. Instead, if we consider the intended effect of sour cream, we can consider a wider range of alternative options. In baking, according to Martha Stewart, sour cream limits gluten development by
Therefore, by changing up our
methodology
instead of doing a direct substitution, we are able to create a similar effect.
Implications
This cake pairs well as a not too indulgent weekend breakfast or your afternoon coffee, tea, or fika. Especially with the pecan topping, it makes a great addition to a holiday or festive dessert table. Or just make it randomly for someone who loves coffee cake.
Sometimes, baking dairy free is as simple as a couple of clever ingredient swaps. Thanks to a rapidly developing market due to increased demand, we have so many incredible options now. However, understanding
why
recipes work and
methodology
, we can expand our options for baking deliciously dairy free.
Limitations
As mentioned above, I did not try additional allergen substitutions, so I cannot vouch for making this recipe egg or gluten free. I also have never tried freezing it myself, because we have never been patient enough. A whole coffee cake may or may not have been devoured by two people over the course of one long weekend. However,
ships frozen coffee cakes so why can't you?
Future Directions
How would you bake a coffee cake without dairy? Where would you bring it? What bakes do you want to see as we move through December and into the new year?