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! This classic gluten-free pound cake recipe will have you feeling nostalgic about pound cake again with its velvety smooth texture and buttery flavor. It's surprisingly simple to make too!
1 9x4 inch loaf pan see notes if using 9x5 inch pan
handheld mixer
Ingredients
1cupbuttersoftened
2cupsgranulated sugar
3eggslarge
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonbaking powder
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
2 ½cupsgluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour)Add 3/4 tsp of xanthan gum if using a flour blend that doesn't contain xanthan gum. Bob's Red Mill contains xanthan gum already.
½cupbuttermilksee note
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9x4 inch loaf pan with butter and gluten-free flour.
In a medium mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs and mix until just combined.
Add the salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Add about 1/3 of the gluten-free flour, and mix until combined. Then add half the buttermilk and mix until combined.
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 pound cake batter into the greased and floured loaf pan and bake for about 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Let cool thoroughly before slicing. Top with whipped cream and fresh berries, optional. You can also ice the cake. See notes for instructions.
Notes
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 9x5 inch loaf pan instead of a 9x4 inch pullman-style loaf pan. Check your gluten-free pound cake at about 50 minutes and plan on baking for 55-65 minutes.