Moravian Sugar Cake ~ Gluten Free!!!

Moravian Sugar Cake

I just updated this recipe and it’s now Gluten-Free 🙂 This is my all-time favorite Christmas treat and I couldn’t go without it just because of my Gluten allergy, so I rolled up my sleeves and headed into my kitchen to come up with a GF version! I hope you all approve 🙂 The crispy Brown Sugar-Cinnamon topping combined with the buttery, tender yeast cake is seriously addictive! Perfect for Christmas morning, New Years Eve, and Holiday Gifts for your special friends and family 🙂
A huge “Thank You” to pastrychefonline.com for sharing the original version of this Wonderful Recipe!!!

For the Dough

  • 1/2 Cup Warm Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Dried Yeast
  • 1 Cup Mashed Potatoes (Unseasoned – no skin, butter, milk or seasonings)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 11 Tablespoons Salted Butter, Melted ((1 Stick + 3 Tablespoons))
  • 1 Cup Whole Milk
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 4 Cups All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour (Divided; check to see if your GF flour blend contains Xanthan Gum, if so great, but if not add 2 tsp. Xanthan Gum )
  • *2 tsp Xanthan Gum (*Add ONLY if your GF flour blend does NOT contain Xanthan Gum ~ 1/2 tsp xanthan gum per 1 cup GF flour for cakes, muffins, quick breads)

For the Topping

  • 8 Tablespoons Salted Butter, Melted
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon Salt

Making the Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. In the bowl of your standing mixer, combine the warm water and yeast. Using the paddle attachment, stir for about 1 minute or until yeast is completely dissolved.
  3. Next, add the mashed potatoes, salt, sugar, melted butter, milk, eggs and 2 cups of the flour. Mix well on low.
  4. Change the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides as needed. Dough should be very sticky and stretchy when pulling dough between your fingers. Add a little bit of extra flour if dough doesn’t feel like it has enough body…wetter is better than dry!
  5. Smooth the top of the dough with an oiled rubber spatula and cover bowl with a towel. Set in a warm area of your kitchen and let rise for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. (Dough should double in size).
  6. Spray 2 jelly roll pans with non-stick spray.
  7. Divide the dough in half between the 2 jelly roll pans. Spray the dough and your hands with the non-stick spray and begin patting and stretching the dough until it fills each pan – alternate between the pans to allow the dough to relax and stretch on its own.
  8. Spray the dough with non-stick spray and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm area to let rise once again, about 1 hour.

Making the topping

  1. Place the oven racks in top third and bottom third of your oven. Preheat to 400 degrees.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix very well.

Putting it all Together

  1. Once the dough in the pans has risen and become puffy, dimple the dough thoroughly using your greased fingers – do not worry if you puncture all the way through to the pan.
  2. Next, brush the tops of the dough with 4 Tablespoons of the melted butter per pan. Butter should pool in the dimples that you created.
  3. Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture onto each of the cakes until you can no longer see the dough.
  4. Place the cakes on the oven racks (one on the top rack and one on the bottom rack). Bake for 7 minutes.
  5. Switch the cakes on the racks. Bake for another 7 minutes.
  6. Let cakes cool in the pans for about 5 minutes.
  7. Using a large spatula and your hands, transfer to cooling racks – this keeps the bottoms from getting soggy.
  8. Serve warm or wrap very well in freeze-proof bags to freeze for up to 2 months.
  9. Enjoy these yummy cakes throughout the holidays!
  10. They make the PERFECT Holiday Gifts for friends and family 🙂
Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks, Sweet Breads