We're sorry to hear that your coffeecake didn't turn out as expected, Marcy! It's just fine to use aluminum-free baking powder, it seems like something else might have gone awry. Most often when a baked good turns out dense it's because a tad too much flour snuck its way into the mixing bowl — we recommend either using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients or using the fluff and sprinkle technique for measuring flour in volume. We hope this helps for future baking adventures! 

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