Mocha Coffee Cake {with almond flour}

This mocha coffee cake with an espresso-infused icing is soft, moist, and packed with coffee and mocha flavors. Made with espresso, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and almond flour, it is the perfect bite with a morning coffee or any time of day!

What’s one of the best parts of my morning? Definitely enjoying a couple of moments of peace along with my morning cup of coffee is at the top of the list. Now, imagine that first cup of coffee transformed into a warm, delicious slice of mocha coffee cake!

I promise this mocha coffee cake dream is much closer to reality than you think.

Don’t believe me?

Well, let me show you!

Make this mocha coffee cake for an upcoming brunch or even as an after-dinner dessert.

Because honestly, mocha and coffee go so well together at any time of the day.

If you like this recipe, you’ll want to check out my fun gingerbread coffee cake, as well as my easy to make apple butter coffee cake.

Does Coffee Cake have Coffee in them?

Traditionally speaking, coffee cake does not typically have real coffee in it. However, this recipe is made with an added teaspoon or two of an espresso powder of your choice and it adds a beautiful depth of flavor that is subtly reminiscent of a lovely, brewed cup of coffee.

What Makes This Coffee Cake Different than the Traditional Version?

This recipe is divided into 3 sections; the Mocha Glaze, the Coffee Cake, and the Streusel Crumble topping.

Dry Ingredients
● Almond Flour: This is one of my favorite flours to use in grain free and gluten free baking. This is also one of the main reasons it is different from a traditional coffee cake!
● Tapioca Flour: It is a kind of flour made from the cassava root, which is also gluten-free. I incorporate tapioca flour when i need to give my baked goods a bit of a chewy and starchy texture.
● Espresso Powder: You can use baking espresso powder here. It is a fine powder that is similar to ground coffee. Espresso is the key to enhancing that rich chocolate flavor! While traditional coffee cake doesn’t have coffee in it, I had to come up with a version that did with this one!
● Baking Soda: make sure the baking soda you are using is not expired (this has come up to many trouble shootings I do for you all)
● Cocoa Powder– Mocha flavor comes from both cocoa and espresso coming together.
● Coconut Sugar: It is unrefined and my favorite way to replace brown sugar. It adds a hint of caramelized flavor which is perfect for this coffee cake recipe.
● Dash of salt

Wet Ingredients
● Eggs (room temperature)- This is because if the eggs are cold, it will solidify the coconut oil, and create unincorporated pieces of the coconut oil in the batter
● Melted coconut oil– and cooled to room temperature
● Maple syrup

Glaze Ingredients

• Milk: Any dairy-free milk works here as well. You can also use coffee or latte to give it even more intense of a coffee flavor.
• Espresso Powder
• Organic Powdered sugar

Step by Step Instructions for Mocha Coffee Cake

Now- this recipe is separated into 2 different parts, the crumble topping, and the cake batter!

For the Almond Flour Streusel Topping

I added one teaspoon of espresso powder to my original Almond Flour Streusel recipe to let that mocha flavor pop.

Coffee Cake Batter

The crumble mixture should have hardened slightly while in the fridge.

Use your hands to combine smaller crumbles together to create larger pieces.

Bake in the oven at 350 F for 23-25 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center to check for doneness. When the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is ready.

Enjoy!

My Tips for Fluffy Coffee Cake

Gluten-free baking can sometimes be intimidating but this recipe is sure to make it to the winner’s circle. I’ve got a few tips to help make it even easier and for how to take the dessert to the next level.

Measuring
I personally use a food scale since packing flour can be tricky and potentially create a drastically different texture. This sadly could lead to a floppy or a dry coffee cake, which we want to avoid.

Oven Temperature

I have an oven thermometer that allows me to achieve a more accurate read on what temp my oven is at. All ovens are not created equally and sometimes they need to be recalibrated. If you don’t have time to fuss with calibrating your oven (because who does??) simply insert an oven safe thermometer to make sure you get the best baking results.

Whisking

Sometimes there are clumps in the flour, so it needs to be whisked until evenly combined. I recommend doing this for all dry ingredients.

Will Coffee Cake Last in the Fridge, and Freezer?

This coffee cake is great to use for presentation on the counter because it stores well at room temperature for 1-2 days, which allows it to maintain a soft and fluffy texture.

If you need to keep it longer you can store it in the fridge in an air-tight container for 5-6 days.

And YES, you can freeze it too!

I recommend cutting the healthy gluten-free coffee cake into squares and then wrapping them individually before freezing.

When you are ready to enjoy this coffee cake, leave it on the kitchen counter for a few hours. Warm it up in the microwave for 20 seconds or so.

Ways to Serve this Mocha Coffee Cake

There are a few ways to enjoy this delicious mocha coffee cake. Why not enjoy it with a Mocha Latte!? If that isn’t your jam…then enjoy it, one of these ways:

• As is…with mocha icing on top
• With ice cream, as a night cap
• With a nice cup of joe or tea in the morning

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS