Coffee and Pecan Cake is a gluten-free sponge bursting with pecan flavour from finely ground pecans, complemented by oat flour and light muscovado sugar. The buttercream is whipped until light and fluffy, enriched with a touch of mascarpone and scented with coffee for a delicious latte-like finish.
This Coffee and Pecan Cake is a modern twist on the classic Coffee and Walnut Cake. It was a best-seller on my cake stall and remains a popular choice for wedding orders. The combination of pecans, oat flour and muscovado creates a moist, flavourful sponge that keeps guests coming back for more.
Follow the simple steps to ensure the cake bakes evenly and stays moist without sinking. The centre is filled with a creamy Coffee and Mascarpone Buttercream — a whipped buttercream made extra silky by mascarpone, with coffee powder and a pinch of salt to accent the flavours. The result is a cake that tastes delightfully like a light, frothy latte.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Coffee and Pecan Cake
- Pecan flavour. Finely ground pecans act like a flour and give the cake rich nutty depth and structure.
- Toffee undertones. Light muscovado sugar adds moistness and a subtle toffee note.
- Maple complement. A little maple syrup in the batter enhances the butterscotch and coffee flavours.
- Clear coffee hit. Use espresso or coffee powder in the batter for a pronounced coffee aroma.
- Silky buttercream. Mascarpone enriches the buttercream for a light, frothy, latte-like finish.
- No xanthan gum needed for this recipe.
Ingredients needed
For the Cake
Light muscovado sugar. Provides moisture and a rich butterscotch flavour.
Unsalted butter. At room temperature for easy creaming.
Eggs. Medium size, used to bind and leaven the sponge.
Maple syrup. Adds depth and complements the toffee and coffee notes.
Vanilla extract. A supporting flavour that blends well with the other ingredients.
White rice flour. Keeps the sponge light and delicate.
Gluten-free oat flour. Use certified gluten-free oat flour for texture and flavour balance.
Pecans. Grind raw pecan halves into a coarse flour to pack in nutty flavour and structure.
Coffee powder. Espresso powder works well directly in the batter for a strong coffee note.
Salt and baking powder. Salt brightens flavours; baking powder provides lift. Ensure baking powder is gluten-free.
For the Easy Coffee and Mascarpone Buttercream
Unsalted butter. Room temperature for a smooth, airy buttercream.
Icing sugar. Powdered sugar gives a smooth, non-grainy texture.
Mascarpone. Adds creaminess and a subtle tang to enrich the buttercream.
Espresso or coffee powder. Dissolves into the buttercream for a clean coffee flavour.
Salt. A pinch to lift the sweetness and round out the flavours.
Pecan halves. For decoration and a satisfying crunch.
Flavour variations and substitutions
Defatted pecan flour. If available, it can make the cake lighter by reducing nut oil content. Ground almonds or defatted almond flour can be used as alternatives.
Flour swaps. You can replace the rice and oat flours with a gluten-free plain flour blend or an all-purpose wheat flour if not avoiding gluten.
Sugar swap. Light muscovado can be substituted with regular soft brown sugar if preferred.
How to make a Gluten-Free Coffee and Pecan Cake
For full recipe quantities and the printable recipe card see the recipe section below.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / gas mark 4 / 350°F. Grease and line two 20cm (8 inch) round tins.
- Wet ingredients: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in maple syrup and vanilla.
- Dry ingredients: Whisk together rice flour, oat flour, ground pecans, coffee powder, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
- Combine: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix until smooth.
- Bake: Divide batter between the prepared tins and bake for around 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool: Turn the cakes out onto wire racks and cool completely before icing.
- Buttercream: Beat butter and icing sugar until airy, then add mascarpone, coffee powder and a pinch of salt and beat until combined and light.
- Assemble: Spread buttercream on one layer, place the second layer on top, add more buttercream to the top and thinly smooth the sides for a naked cake finish. Decorate with pecan halves.
Expert Tips
Use fresh pecans. Old or rancid nuts will negatively affect taste.
Avoid overgrinding pecans. Add a little of the sugar and rice flour to the food processor while grinding to prevent the nuts from releasing too much oil, which can make the cake dense and prone to sinking.
FAQs
Yes. The cake can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store in the fridge in an airtight container and bring to room temperature about an hour before serving.
You can freeze the individual sponges before assembly. Wrap them tightly in cling film and foil and freeze for up to 2 months; defrost in the fridge overnight and then bring to room temperature. You can also flash-freeze the assembled cake uncovered for a few hours, then wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
More gluten-free cakes you’ll love
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Gluten-Free Coffee and Walnut Cake
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Gluten-Free Banana Cake with Sticky Toffee Buttercream
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Gluten Free Espresso Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream
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Gluten-Free Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Toasted Marshmallow
Gluten-Free Coffee and Pecan Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 440 g light muscovado sugar
- 350 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 5 eggs (medium)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 160 g white rice flour
- 50 g gluten-free oat flour
- 160 g ground pecans
- 1½ tablespoons coffee powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Icing
- 300 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 300 g icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons mascarpone
- 1 teaspoon coffee powder
- Pinch of salt
- 12 pecan halves to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional) and line and grease two 20cm round tins.
- Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down between additions, then mix in the maple syrup and vanilla.
- In another bowl whisk the rice flour, oat flour, ground pecans, coffee powder, baking powder and salt.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until smooth.
- Divide batter between the tins and bake for about 40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool cakes on wire racks before icing.
- For the buttercream, beat the butter and icing sugar until light and airy (about 8–10 minutes). Add mascarpone, coffee powder and a pinch of salt and beat until combined.
- Spread buttercream on one layer, place the second on top, add more buttercream and thinly smooth the sides for a naked cake look. Top with pecan halves.
Notes
- Fresh pecans: Use fresh nuts for the best flavour.
- Making ground pecans: Grind raw pecan halves in a food processor; 160g of halves yields roughly the same weight in ground pecans.
- Avoid overgrinding: Add a little sugar and rice flour while grinding to stop the pecans releasing too much oil and making the cake dense.
- Egg sizes: This recipe uses medium eggs (about 60g with shell). If using different sizes, weigh the eggs for accuracy.
Make ahead: Bake up to 2 days in advance and store in the fridge; bring to room temperature before serving. To freeze, wrap sponges or the whole cake well and freeze for up to 2 months; defrost in the fridge overnight.
Ingredient measurements: The recipe was tested with metric weights; weighing ingredients ensures the most consistent result.