Gluten Free Cinnamon Crumb Cake

This gluten free cinnamon crumb cake is soft, tender, and loaded with buttery cinnamon crumbs on top. It’s the kind of cake you want with your morning coffee or as an afternoon treat.

If you’ve been missing classic crumb cake since going gluten free, this one will make you really happy. It tastes just like the real thing.

The cake itself is moist and fluffy thanks to sour cream in the batter. And that crumb topping? It bakes up into big, crunchy, cinnamon-sugar clusters that are honestly the best part.

A simple powdered sugar glaze goes on top while the cake is still warm. It adds just the right amount of sweetness without being too much.

You don’t need any fancy ingredients or special skills for this one. It comes together quickly and bakes in one pan.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s Completely Gluten Free – If you’ve been missing classic cinnamon crumb cake since going gluten free, this recipe brings back that exact bakery-style experience using simple 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour.

That Crumb Topping Is Unreal – The buttery cinnamon brown sugar crumbs on top get perfectly golden and clumpy in the oven, giving you that irresistible crunch in every single bite.

Super Moist Thanks to Sour Cream – The sour cream in the batter keeps this cake incredibly soft and moist, which is a game changer for gluten free baking where dryness can sometimes be a problem.

The Glaze Takes It Over the Top – That simple two-ingredient powdered sugar glaze drizzled over the warm cake melts into the crumbs and adds just the right amount of sweetness to tie everything together.

Ingredients

For the Crumb Topping

• 3/4 cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/3 cup Unsalted Butter, melted

For the Cake

• 1 3/4 cups Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2/3 cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (for glaze)
• 1 tbsp Whole Milk (for glaze)

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9-inch square baking pan. For the crumb topping, stir together 3/4 cup gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until large, clumpy crumbs form. Set aside.

Step 2

For the cake, whisk together 1 3/4 cups gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

Step 3

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the sour cream, mixing on low speed just until combined.

Step 4

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Break the crumb topping into large pieces and scatter generously over the batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Step 5

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth, then drizzle over the top of the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Helpful Tips

Make the Crumb Topping First

Always start with the crumb topping before you do anything else. Once you mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together, pour in the melted butter and use a fork to toss it all around until you get big, chunky clumps.

The key here is to not overmix it. You want it to look rough and uneven, not like a smooth paste. If it looks too wet or uniform, let it sit on the counter while you make the batter. It will firm up a little and be easier to break into nice big pieces when you’re ready to top the cake.

Those big crumbs are what give you that thick, crunchy topping layer that makes crumb cake so good, so don’t rush this step.

Use Room Temperature Ingredients

The butter, eggs, and sour cream for the cake batter should all be at room temperature before you start mixing. Cold ingredients don’t blend together smoothly and you can end up with a lumpy batter that doesn’t bake evenly.

To soften butter quickly, cut it into small cubes and leave it on the counter for about 30 to 45 minutes. For eggs, place them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for about 10 minutes. Pull the sour cream out of the fridge when you pull out the butter so it has time to take the chill off.

When everything is the same temperature, the batter comes together beautifully and you get a cake with a really tender, even crumb.

Cream the Butter and Sugar Long Enough

When the recipe says to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed, take that seriously. This step is what makes the cake light and fluffy instead of dense and flat.

You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture looks noticeably paler in color and has a fluffy, almost whipped texture. If it still looks yellow and heavy, keep going. With gluten free flour, you don’t get the same structure that regular flour gives you, so this creaming step does a lot of the heavy lifting to get air into the batter.

You Might Also Like

• Gluten Free Classic Coffee Cake
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Loaf

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

Yes, full-fat Greek yogurt works as a direct substitute for sour cream in this recipe. It adds the same moisture and slight tang that keeps the cake soft and tender.

Just make sure it’s full-fat and not the low-fat or fat-free kind, since those have a thinner consistency that can throw off the batter’s texture.