Moist and dense with a deep, rich chocolate flavor, this gluten free chocolate pound cake is a chocolate-lover's dream.
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The classic gluten free pound cake is a beautiful thing. It makes the perfect base for a trifle, and you only need the most basic gluten free pantry ingredients + about one hour of time to make one happen.
Pound cakes also freeze so beautifully that they don't even need to be sliced first. They don't freeze solid, so you can still fix yourself a slice from the loaf right out of the freezer.
That basic pound cake recipe just needs a bit of tweaking to turn it into a moist, rich and dense chocolate pound cake. The simple chocolate glaze makes it truly extraordinary.
Like any baking recipe, the secret to this pound cake is in the temperature of your ingredients. If you don't have room temperature butter and room temperature eggs, all is not lost, though.
You can coax your butter into room temperature by setting it beside the preheating oven and rotating it every few minutes. In a real pinch, you could place the butter in the microwave in 10-second bursts, until your finger leaves an easy imprint in the top of the sticks.
The eggs are even easier to bring to temperature. Just place them in a bowl filled with warm, not hot, water and let them sit for 15 minutes. And next time leave the butter and eggs out overnight on the kitchen counter.
This gluten free chocolate pound cake is lovely served with berries and cream. It's a showstopper served as a thick slice topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Classic Gluten Free Chocolate Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the pound cake
- 2 ounces dark chocolate chopped
- ¾ cup (105 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch (replace with more Cup4Cup if that is your all purpose gluten free flour blend)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (60 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (if you use natural cocoa powderm add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda)
- 16 tablespoons (224 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling
- 9 ounces (252 g) eggs (from about 5 large eggs) at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) brewed coffee at room temperature (or milk—but really consider the coffee!)
For the chocolate glaze
- 4 ounces dark chocolate chopped
- ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease or line with parchment paper a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
- In a small heat-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and melt in 30-second bursts in the microwave at 60% power until melted and smooth (or over a double boiler). Set the bowl aside to cool briefly. Into a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, and cocoa powder, then add the salt and whisk to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until the mixture falls from the beater in a ribbon when the paddle is lifted (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, and beat again until well-combined. Next, add the chocolate and the brewed coffee, beating to combine after each addition. Finally, with the mixer on low, add the flour and cocoa powder mixture slowly. Beat briefly until just combined. The batter should be smooth and thickly pourable.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a wet spatula. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached (about 1 hour). Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze.
- Place the chopped chocolate in a small, heat-safe bowl. Place the cream and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and allow to sit until the chocolate begins to melt (about 1 minute). Mix until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour the glaze over the top of the cooled pound cake and spread into an even layer with a small offset spatula or large knife. Allow to sit at room temperature until the glaze is set. Slice thickly and serve.
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
L. says
As usual you have me drooling! I REALLY want to make these Pound Cake Recipes but I’ve developed a severe allergy to Xanthan Gum. Do you have any suggestions for a substitute? Thanks. Your recipes are amazing! :))
youngbaker2002 says
lots of people have said that guar gum is a great one for one substitute, but i’ve never tried it. hope that helps L.!
Angela Platt says
Just to let you know, made the cake last night and everyone at work is raving about it – it’s amazing; looks dense, but is so light and chocolatey. Thanks for the wonderful recipes; the Ricotta breakfast cake is next on the list!
Angela Platt says
Hi Nicole
Love your books, here in the UK, I’ve got all of them:)
Re beating the sugar and butter together, “…..beat together until the mixture falls from the paddle in a ribbon (3 minutes)….., is this correct? I know that eggs and sugar beaten, i.e. for a whisked sponge, fall in a ribbon. Just checking, as I’m going to bake this and bring into work – we’ve all been very busy and need cheering up and this gorgeous cake looks as though it fits the bill.
ninjazrx says
Is this recipe missing baking soda or powder? I made this yesterday and it rose well in the oven but then it fell to about half the size after it cooled. ?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, ninjazrx, nope. It’s not missing a chemical leavener. Pound cake gets its lift from eggs alone, and this recipe is very, very well-tested and will work when made as written. When a cake rises and then falls, it’s usually due to a too-hot oven which causes the outside of the cake to cook faster than the inside has a chance to create the structure necessary to support the rise. Are you using an oven thermometer, and are you aware of any hot spots in your oven? Most ovens are improperly calibrated by quite a lot (mine included!) so an inexpensive oven thermometer is really the only way to go. Also, if you made any substitutions and/or measuring by volume instead of by weight, that can also drastically affect your outcome. Hope that helps!
ninjazrx says
Thanks for getting back to me. I did measure everything by weight and normally everything (almost) comes out of my oven without a problem. I used to have a thermometer, don’t know what happened to it? ha ha so I will def be getting another one and testing my oven out! Will have to try this recipe again. Thanks!
Jean Grey says
II can’t wait to make this! I am currently doing a “Whole 30” but plan on making this as soon as my 30 days are up…
Nicole Hunn says
A Whole 30 really takes a lot of discipline. Good for you, Jean! And thank you so much, by the way, for all your contributions on Facebook lately. It’s amazing when readers can help one another. Warms my heart! :)
Victoria Donaldson says
Yum! Deliciousness (yes it’s a word, at least in my dictionary) awaits. Must make tomorrow… Thanks again
Nicole Hunn says
Of course it’s a word, Victoria! Ask food bloggers anywhere. ;)
Jennifer S. says
Absolutely beautiful as always!!!! :) Did you see that Anneke did a triathlon this weekend – whoa baby!
Nicole Hunn says
I definitely did not know that, Jennifer!! Go Anneke!
Vatsala Agarwal says
Hi Nicole,
I love your GF recipes. My son can’t eat egg. What can I use to replace the eggs in the pound cake.
Thanks,
Vatsala.
Jennifer S. says
you can try the ener-g egg replacer or find a vegan gluten free pound cake recipe.
Let us know how it turns out.