Surprisingly Simple Gluten-Free Pound Cake

 I grew up eating frozen Sara Lee pound cake and was desperate to recreate this wonderfully moist, melt-in-your-mouth cake without gluten. I finally did it! With its velvety smooth texture and buttery flavor, this gluten-free pound cake recipe will make you feel nostalgic about pound cake again. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

Learning to bake without gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, is a journey. It’s actually a long journey.

Each recipe I add to this website is another I’ve mastered since my celiac disease diagnosis 11 years ago.

Today I’m recreating another childhood treat: the Sara Lee pound cake. I used to eat this pound cake with Cool Whip and strawberries, and I even diced it into squares to enjoy with melted chocolate (fondue, anyone?).

This pound cake joins the scores of other recipes I had to recreate to enjoy the treats I enjoyed in my pre-celiac days. These treats include PopTarts, Goldfish crackers, and Cosmic Brownies, to name a few.

If you’re new to pound cake, or you’ve never had pound cake because there isn’t a gluten-free option available, it’s a classic dessert loved for its simplicity and rich flavor.

While it gets its name from the traditional recipe, which appropriately calls for a pound each of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, the gluten-free version isn’t so clear-cut. It requires a little zhuzh to mimic the taste and texture of pound cake without the ease of having wheat flour (aka gluten) to help do it.

My classic gluten-free pound cake recipe is dense yet velvety smooth. Each bite reveals a buttery flavor that coats the tongue and a subtle sweetness that lingers long after you’ve gobbled up a slice.

The crumb of the cake is moist and tender, with a delicate vanilla aroma that makes your mouth water with each bite. Each bite offers an intensified rewarding experience that is comforting and decadent.

Pound cake can be enjoyed for breakfast as an accompaniment to a cup of coffee or tea or for dessert topped with whipped cream and berries.

How to Make Gluten-Free Pound Cake

You need only a few simple ingredients to make this rich and satisfying pound cake.

The key ingredient in gluten-free baking is gluten-free flour that sufficiently mimics the taste and texture of wheat flour.

I found that my trusty Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour blend works well for this recipe. The flour works as a cup-for-cup substitute for wheat flour, and it offers a beautiful structure and a delicious taste to my gluten-free version of this childhood treat.

You’ll also need butter, sugar, eggs, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, and buttermilk, which you can make by combining milk with white vinegar or lemon juice (see notes).

You’ll also need a 9×4 inch loaf pan that you’ll grease with butter and lightly dust with flour.

Follow these five easy steps to make the pound cake batter:

1. In a medium mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the eggs and mix until just combined.
3. Add the salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. Add about 1/3 of the gluten-free flour, and mix until combined. Then add half the buttermilk and mix until combined.
5. Add another 1/3 of the gluten-free flour, and mix until smooth. Add the remaining buttermilk, mix, then add the last of the gluten-free flour and blend until smooth.

Gently spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in a 350º F preheated oven for about 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Let the pound cake cool thoroughly before slicing, then top with whipped cream and fresh berries, optional. You can also ice the cake with a sweet glaze – see notes below for instructions.

Notes, FAQs, and Substitutions

How to Make Buttermilk: To make your buttermilk, add one teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and then fill the cup with milk until it reaches ½ cup full. Let the mixture sit for five minutes before using.

Make It Egg-Free: To make it egg-free, use your favorite egg replacer equivalent to three eggs.

Make It Dairy-Free: To make it dairy-free, use vegan buttery sticks and ½ cup of dairy-free milk instead of milk when making the buttermilk.

For a Moister Pound Cake: For a moister cake, substitute ½ cup of sour cream or yogurt instead of buttermilk. You can also use dairy-free yogurt, sour cream, or full-fat canned coconut milk with a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice.

Make an Icing or Glaze Topping: To make icing for the pound cake, combine one cup of powdered sugar with about 1 tbsp of milk and mix until you get the right consistency. You can also use lemon juice instead of milk. See Lemon instructions below.

Make It a Lemon Poundcake: To make gluten-free lemon poundcake, add the zest of one lemon and additional lemon juice to the recipe. You can also use lemon juice to make lemon icing. Just mix powdered sugar with lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the lemon juice a little bit at a time until you get a good drizzling consistency.

How to Prevent Sinking: Removing your pound cake from the oven too early makes it susceptible to sinking. Make sure it’s fully finished baking before removing it from the oven. If you’re still getting crumbs when you poke it with a toothpick, cook it for another 5-10 minutes.

Selecting a Loaf Pan: The cake will cook quicker if you have a traditional 9×5 inch loaf pan instead of a 9×4 inch pullman-style loaf pan. Check your gluten-free pound cake at about 50 minutes and plan on baking for 55-65 minutes.

Additional Recipes

Try these recipes, too:

• Gluten-Free Blueberry Banana Bread Breakfast Bowls (dairy-free + vegan)
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread (Dairy Free)
• Gluten-Free Apple Cake (Perfect for Rosh Hashanah and Year Round)
• Simple Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake Recipe