This tested recipe for traditional gluten free pound cake is moist and tender, dense and buttery, just like you remember. It always gets rave reviews!
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Why is it called a pound cake?
A traditional pound cake is so named because it's made with a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar and a pound of eggs. Even so, most of the pound cake recipes I have shared with you have called for both butter and cream cheese.
But there's certainly something to be said for tradition. And this is precisely the sort of pound cake that is perfect for layering into a lovely warm-weather gluten free (gf) trifle with all sorts of colorful berries.
Gluten free pound cake means tweaking the original formula
I've said it before, and at the risk of making you cross with me, I'll say it again: gluten free baking requires gluten free recipes. So the traditional formula for a pound cake just doesn't work perfectly for gluten free.
This recipe in particular (unlike most recipes for pound cake) only makes one loaf, so it's more like a half pound of this, a half pound of that as a starting point anyway.
Feel free to double, though, if you're looking for two loaves or you'd like to make the recipe in a bundt or tube pan (just watch the baking time).
This is the best gluten free pound cake recipe you'll try — here's why
There's nothing else quite like the smooth baked interior and slightly crispy, perfectly browned crust of a traditional pound cake. The crumb of a pound cake is tighter, and the cake itself is denser than gf vanilla cake, but not at all dry.
Each slice of this pound cake is rich and smooth and reminds me so strongly of the Sara Lee pound cakes of my youth that I've thought about baking it in a disposable aluminum pan for nostalgia. If you're new to baking pound cakes, you may be surprised that the loaf has no baking powder or soda.
That's right; this gf pound cake is leavened completely by the 9 ounces of eggs in the batter. Some recipes add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to help your cake rise slightly, but when making a pound cake, I want a rich, buttery, fine-crumbed loaf, just like it was meant to be!
It's not too far off the 1:1:1:1 ratio of traditional “pound” cake, but the adjustments make it just as good made gluten free as it is made with gluten. We might have to get there a slightly different way, but we'll get there.
What you need for a basic gluten free pound cake recipe
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients you'll need to make this simple pound cake recipe. For full details, just scroll down to the recipe card below:
- Butter – There's a half pound (8 ounces) of unsalted butter in this recipe; your butter must be at room temperature (not oily, gives gently when pressed with a finger), or it won't whip, and your pound cake won't turn out
- Sugar – Sugar isn't only for sweetness, particularly in this recipe, where it is a major component of the tenderness of the finished cake
- Eggs – You'll need 9 ounces of beaten eggs in this recipe. Begin with 4 large eggs, weigh them, then beat another egg and measure what you need to reach 9 ounces.
- Vanilla extract – You can use pure vanilla extract or replace 1/2 teaspoon with almond extract for a bakery-style taste
- Gluten free flour – You'll need a bit less than 8 ounces of one of our recommended all purpose (AP) gluten free flour blends, but I get even better results by replacing a bit of the AP GF flour with some cornstarch to make a cake flour-style blend
- Salt – Kosher salt is a common ingredient in baking, since it's harder to over-measure; any semi-coarse salt will do.
Tips for making the perfect gluten free pound cake
Choosing a gluten free flour blend
Even conventional pound cakes are often made with cake flour to create a fine crumb and a bit of extra tenderness. I like this cake best made with mostly Better Batter's classic gluten free flour blend (82%, or 180 grams of Better Batter) and another 40 grams (or 18% of the total, by weight) cornstarch.
If you try to use a blend like Bob's Red Mill, which I strongly recommend against and is unbalanced and of inconsistent quality, it almost certainly will not turn out. For full information on flour blends, please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends page on the blog, which is linked in every recipe that calls for such a blend.
Properly measuring gluten free flour
You can't measure gluten free flour accurately by volume, only by weight. The size of dry measuring cups isn't standardized (like the size of pants!), so measuring accurately means using a simple digital kitchen scale.
Choosing a pan: loaf pan or bundt pan?
I haven't ever made this recipe in a bundt pan, only a loaf pan. If you'd like to make a bundt cake with a pound cake-style crumb, try our recipe for gluten free marble bundt cake.
Bringing your ingredients to room temperature
As always in baking, the temperature of the ingredients is very important. In a recipe this simple, it’s especially critical. The butter and eggs must be at room temperature for everything to combine properly.
If you add cold eggs to room temperature butter, the butter will clump. To bring cold eggs to room temperature, place them in a warm water bath and allow them to sit for about 15 minutes.
Cold butter can be chopped and microwaved for 10 seconds, no longer. Be sure to stop before the butter melts. If you don’t blend the ingredients properly, the butter will clump and then melt and leak out during baking.
Your batter will look weird — and then not
This batter will end up smooth, silky, and very thickly pourable. But it might not look great before you get to that point.
Once you add the eggs to the beaten butter and sugar mixture, it may look a bit curdled, but it will smooth right back out when you add the flour mixture.
Scraping your mixing bowl often for even mixing
Remember that all the ingredients in the recipe are in proper proportion, so scrape the sides of the bowl completely before you turn the batter out into the prepared loaf pan. Otherwise, you may be leaving important ingredients behind!
Letting your gf pound cake cool completely before slicing
It's tempting to slice into a warm, fragrant pound cake, but sit on your hands and let it cool completely first! To enjoy warm gf pound cake, toast a thickly-cut slice and top with berries and cream. *chefskiss*
Gluten free pound cake serving suggestions
Think of pound cake as a delicious blank canvas for everything good in the world of desserts. Slice your cooled loaf of gf pound cake thickly and try topping it with any of the following:
- homemade whipped cream
- vanilla ice cream
- fresh berries or other chopped, in-season fruit
- homemade ice cream toppings, hot fudge sauce, caramel sauce, butterscotch sauce, or marshmallow topping
- gf lemon curd
Storing your gluten free pound cake
If you have any leftover gf pound cake (lucky you!), you can store it in a sealed container in the freezer. I don't like storing it in the refrigerator, since it tends to become dry.
Store it sliced, or slice it after it's frozen, since it won't freeze solid. Refresh each slice in a toaster, or enjoy it straight from the freezer like a proper civilized person.
Gluten free vanilla pound cake substitutions
Gluten free, dairy-free pound cake
The only dairy in this recipe is the unsalted butter, but it's also the most plentiful ingredient. Replacing the butter should be possible with a very high-quality vegan butter like Melt or Miyoko's Kitchen.
Don't use something like Earth Balance buttery sticks, or your fat will probably leak out during baking as there's too much moisture in Earth Balance.
Can you make vegan gluten free pound cake
To make your pound cake into a vegan gf pound cake, you'll need to replace the eggs and the butter (plus make sure your granulated sugar isn't made with bone char). There are 9 full ounces of whole eggs in this recipe, and I've never successfully replaced that many eggs in a recipe. So sorry!
More gluten free pound cake recipes
This is the classic all butter gluten free pound cake recipe, and it's a beauty. But it's not the only way to make gf pound cake. Here are some other pound cake-style recipes that are worth your time:
Iced gluten free lemon pound cake
Made with a combination of butter and cream cheese, this extra-rich gf lemon pound cake also has tons of fresh lemon flavor. The simple confectioners' sugar icing on top is, well, the icing on the cake!
Rich gf chocolate pound cake
Smooth, rich, and creamy, each slice of this gluten free chocolate pound cake is a chocolate lover's dream. There's an entire 3/4 cup of cocoa powder, plus melted dark chocolate, in this dark delight that you don't want to miss.
Gluten free chocolate cinnamon pound cake
For a true twist on a classic with a less rich, and more complex flavor, try our gf chocolate cinnamon pound cake. It's one of the old favorites from Starbucks, but of course they never made it like this (this good, or gluten free, of course!).
FAQs
Is pound cake gluten free?
No! Regular pound cake is made with all purpose wheat-based flour. Only a gluten free pound cake like this recipe is safely gluten free.
Can I make a gluten free pound cake with almond flour?
I'm afraid not. Almond flour is great for baking, but it needs its own recipes. For an almond flour loaf cake, try our Paleo banana bread.
Can I make this gluten free pound cake recipe without a stand mixer?
Yes! You can use a handheld mixer to beat the butter, but it will just take you a bit longer.
Can I double this gluten free pound cake recipe?
Yes—if you have a large enough stand mixer. 32 tablespoons of unsalted butter is a lot for any stand mixer to beat until light and fluffy, and it's not possible with a hand mixer, at least not all at once. To be safe, it might be best to make two loaves side by side, rather than by doubling everything at once.
Can I use a bundt pan to make a gf pound cake?
You can use a bundt pan, but you'll need to make some adjustments. For full details on making bundt cake, see our gluten free marble bundt cake post.
Can I make a gluten free pound cake mix in advance?
Since the only dry ingredients are the gluten free flour blend and the salt, there's really nothing to be gained from making a dry mix in advance.
How do you know when a gluten free pound cake is done baking?
When your gf pound cake is done baking, it will have domed in the center, be golden brown in color, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean (no wet batter attached). Don't judge simply based on the color of the loaf, since your cake will fall as it cools if it's not baked all the way through.
How do you get a gluten free pound cake out of the pan?
Use a high-quality nonstick loaf pan, grease it with butter or cooking oil spray, and then line it with parchment paper. Then, when your pound cake is done baking, let it cool in the pan, then run a thin no-scratch spatula or knife around any edges not covered by the parchment, and lift the pound cake gently out of the pan by the paper.
Why did my gluten free pound cake come out so dense?
If by dense, you mean your loaf seems to have collapsed, it probably wasn't done baking fully to the center before it was removed from the oven. For even baking, make sure your oven temperature is accurate by using a separate oven thermometer that you're certain is properly calibrated, and replace it often.
How long does gf pound cake stay fresh?
Pound cake has enough fat and sugar to stay quite fresh on the counter, if wrapped tightly, for three days. For longer storage, slice, wrap tightly, and freeze.
Classic Gluten Free Pound Cake Recipe (From Scratch)
Classic Gluten Free Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons (224 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 5 eggs (9 ounces) at room temperature, beaten (See Recipe Notes)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract + 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1.57 cups (220 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (1 cup + 9 tablespoons) (I used Better Batter; you must use one of my recommended flour blends; please click thru for full info)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease well a standard loaf pan (about 9-inches x 5-inches, or a bit smaller) and set it aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream the butter on medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the sugar, and then the eggs (slowly, while the mixer is on low speed) and vanilla, beating after each addition until well-combined. Turn the mixer speed up to medium-high, and beat until smooth.
- In a small bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the flour mixture, about ¼ cup at a time, to the mixer bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.
- The batter will be thick but soft and smooth. Scrape the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top with a wet spatula. Carefully bang the bottom of the pan a few times on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake, rotating once during baking, until lightly golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 50 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan and allowing to cool completely.
Notes
You may need 4 or 5 eggs. The important part is to measure out 9 ounces of eggs, by weight. Just beat together 4 eggs and, if you need more, beat a 5th egg separately and add only as much as necessary to reach 9 ounces, by weight. A note about the gf flour blend. This is a very simple recipe that calls for only a few basic ingredients. If you do not use one of my recommended flour blends, it will not turn out. Please click through for full information. I really like this recipe even better when it’s made with gluten free cake flour, which is a blend of 82% all purpose gluten free flour + 18% cornstarch. In this recipe, that would be 180 grams all purpose gluten free flour + 40 grams cornstarch. This recipe was originally published on the blog in 2013. Photos updated to showcase the true beauty of this gluten free pound cake, and the recipe modified just a bit in 2015. A lot of text added in 2022.
Nutrition
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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!
Yvonne says
Is there a way to reduce the sugar?
Nicole Hunn says
No, Yvonne, sugar is not just a sweetener but adds bulk and is a tenderizer. A low sugar recipe would call for a completely different balance of ingredients. Perhaps a low carb recipe would suit your needs better.
Shanna Oakley says
Hi! Do you think this recipe made strictly as instructed, or with your preferred “cake flour,” would work well baked into mini Bundt cakes? I cross-referenced your marble Bundt recipe as well but want to make this flavor of cake. Thanks! Shãnna
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid not, Shanna. This is a loaf cake, and I don’t recommend making it in essentially what is cupcake size. Sorry!
Karin says
hi – sorry I am confused, is it One Pound of butter as in your notes? Or is it 16 tbsp (224 gr) of butter. I have not made this yet, but wanted to try it.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Karin, the recipe is correct as written. 16 tablespoons, at 14 grams per tablespoon of butter = 224 grams, which can also be measured as 8 ounces, which is also 1/2 pound. For the relationship between this recipe and the tradition of a “pound” cake, please see the text of the post, but to make the recipe, you only need to measure by weight, as listed in the recipe card.
Carla says
I am confused as well. In the text of the post it is said, “There’s a full pound (16 ounces) of unsalted butter in this recipe;” but at the bottom in the ingredients, it says 16 tbs, 1/2 pound.
Nicole Hunn says
Ah, yes, now I understand. The description you quoted has an error in it, which I’ve corrected now! I apologize for the confusion. 16 tablespoons is 1/2 pound. Most pound cakes make 2 loaves, and this one only makes a single loaf so it’s 1/2 pound of butter. The other ingredients are in different proportion than a conventional, gluten-containing pound cake recipe (which is why gluten free baking requires gluten free recipes, as the balance of ingredients is different), but the amount of butter is traditional.
Betty Fiorani says
I baked this cake today. Something went terribly wrong. First I don’t understand the recipe. How much flour do you use? 1 Cup 9 Tbls. Are you telling me 2 Cups of flour or explaining how many tbls make a cup. I wasted alot of money on this cake. Very disappointed.
Nicole Hunn says
Betty, there are 16 tablespoons in a cup. The “1 cup 9 tablespoons” is one cup of flour (16 tablespoons) + 9 more tablespoons flour. That is 7 tablespoons less than 2 cups of flour. You will always have the most success baking when you bake by weight, which is why I provide the total weight of flour as 220 grams.
Gary says
Hello. I just made this pound cake using the America’s Test Kitchen basic flour recipe for the ‘flour’ portion. The cake came out very well, however, a lot of the butter seems to have gravitated to the bottom, and I can actually squeeze the butter right out of the slice of cake. Do you by chance know what happened? Thanks very much
Wanda Brown says
Can I use Stevia sugar substitute for the granualated sugar ???
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t recommend that at all, Wanda. Stevia isn’t my favorite substitute for granulated sugar in baked goods in general, and this recipe is incredibly simple—and relies on lots of sugar as a tenderizer, bulk-former, and of course a sweetener.
louetta says
Can you add lemon to this and make a lemon pound cake…my favorite?
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t see why not, louetta!
Loretta Sorapuru-Malter says
Thanks so much for the hard work and dedication, it is greatly appreciated. I gave the gluten-free pound cake a try. I used your recipe for the all-purpose flour. I am also trying to drastically cut down/eliminate refined sugar so I substituted granulated sugar with coconut palm sugar (1.25 cup for the required 1cup). It changed the color . . . a little browner, but the pound cake was great. And I didn’t feel guilty about having it.
I am the mother of two Autistic sons, and years ago we tried to go gluten-free. It was EXTREMELY difficult, and costly. There was so much resistance that we were not able to continue. I made the pound cake but didn’t mention to the boys that it was (gasp) gluten-free. They started eating it before it had a chance to cool. That pound cake did not see the light of another day. . . . they are ready for me to make another.
I truly appreciate the time and effort you take to test and refine these recipes. Next challenge will be the Japanese Cheesecake.
Louise says
Hello, I’ve just made this cake, and followed the recipe 100 %, but it’s come out quite dense and very heavy. Does it really not need some sort of raising agent, like baking soda or baking powder?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Louise,
I’m sorry this pound cake recipe didn’t turn out for you. I know how frustrating that can be. However, it’s one of the best-tested recipes I have, as I have made it well over a dozen times. A pound cake gets its rise from the eggs, not from any sort of chemical leavener like baking soda or baking powder. Pound cake is not a fluffy, vanilla cake, it is more dense by design. However, if yours was overly dense, I’d always look first to the flour blend you are using as they are not all created equal. Then, be sure you are measuring by weight, and using an oven thermometer to check your oven’s temperature as most ovens are improperly calibrated.
Sarah says
I made a Tandy cake with this recipe. I used a jelly roll pan. A nice layer of peanut butter and chocolate on top. It came out awesome!! : ) thanks a million!!
Angie Nance says
Thank you, thank you! My son is Autistic and almost 15. We are venturing into gluten free foods for our whole family! Of course cutting out traditional gluten foods, bagels, breads, etc., is a struggle for my son and my husband! But I made this last night and didn’t tell anyone it was GF…they were all wanting more! Mostly my son and husband!!!! Couldn’t have been happier! Great directions for simple fools proof results! Thanks & can’t wait to try more!
The Nance family
Regina says
Just to confirm – recipe calls for 1 cup + 9 tablespoons of flour? Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
The recipe is correct as written, Regina!
Veronica Zwiers says
Does it matter which GF All Purpose Flour you use? Is it a personal preference as to which GF All Purpose Flour people use?
Nicole Hunn says
Please see this post, Veronica, where I discuss which flour blends to use when: https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/using-all-purpose-gluten-free-flour-blends/
Shamin Lim says
Hi, can I replace sugar using stevia ? And how many grams does it need?
Nicole Hunn says
I would try a nonsugar replacement like Swerve, Shamin, that is meant to be a 1:1 sub for granulated sugar. But you’ll have to experiment!
Shamin Lim says
Awesome and Thank you for your reply :)
Jared Burrow says
Hi!
I haven’t tried it with this recipe (yet) but I’ve discovered that the Truvia baking blend works perfectly in most GF recipes, just use 1/2 the amount by volume.
Unlike Swerve it does have real sugar in it so if you have to avoid sugar altogether it’s not for you, but the amount of sugar is very low and unlike Swerve it doesn’t seem to have that not-sugar aftertaste you get with a lot of sweeteners.
Jared Burrow says
Hi!
I haven’t tried it with this recipe (yet) but I’ve discovered that the Truvia baking blend works perfectly in most GF recipes, just use 1/2 the amount by volume.
Unlike Swerve it does have real sugar in it so if you have to avoid sugar altogether it’s not for you, but the amount of sugar is very low and unlike Swerve it doesn’t seem to have that not-sugar aftertaste you get with a lot of sweeteners.
Jennifer S. says
I love me some pound cake – and it’s silly though I don’t think I’ve ever made it. Probably because I’d be the only one eating it. not cool. but 1/2 the battle is knowing that it’s here when I need it. love that!! thanks for all you do!
Sarah Romero says
By any chance, have you made this recipe without egg? Either using flax our a commercial egg replacer?
Jennifer S. says
you should try it out and report back to us all – however, this might not be a true pound cake without eggs, kwim? good luck!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Sarah, as I mentioned below to Kristie, I really don’t recommend that. You’re better off with a yellow cake. Sorry!
Sarah Romero says
I figured, but I thought I would try! Boy do I miss pound cake!
kristie gilchrist says
Can you use egg replacement like flax seed or Chia seeds
Jennifer S. says
doubtful but try it out and report back – this recipe has A LOT of eggs. Maybe try Nicole’s vanilla cake recipe instead? it’s awesome.
kristie gilchrist says
Asking because my neighbor has gluten and egg allergies, I’ve made gluten free egg free carrot cake and ur turned out amazing using the flax seed
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I really, really don’t recommend that. If a recipe has more than 2 eggs, which this does, egg replacers really don’t work. Sorry, Kristie!