Today’s recipe for Perfect Gluten-Free Pound Cake is the third installment of SSS … a Suite of Sweets for Sweethearts. When I was growing up, pound cake was a family favorite. Bake a good pound cake and you were loved by all. Seriously.
There was no gift I could give my grandmother (my dad’s mom) that she would have preferred over my pound cake. Grandma loved pound cake, and she said mine were the best.
You see … before going gluten free, I made all kinds of pound cakes. There were classic pound cakes, orange pound cakes, lemon pound cakes, cream cheese pound cakes, chocolate pound cakes, and marble pound cakes … to name a few.Some were baked in tube pans. Some were prettiest if cooked in Bundt pans. Some were 8-inches square. Others were baked in loaf pans.
Some were served plain. Some required a dusting of powdered sugar. Some needed a thin drizzle of icing. But, one thing they all had in common was how good they were.
Everyone in my family and circle of friends had their own personal favorite of my pound cakes. I’ve been gluten free for well over 6 years now. I have not baked a really good gluten-free pound cake in that time (although I’ve tried several).
Until … Now. Now I have the Perfect Gluten-Free Pound Cake for you!
This pound cake recipe is another gfe recipe that uses olive oil as the shortening–in this case, light olive oil or extra light olive oil, and that’s an important distinction. (Extra virgin olive oil’s flavor is way too strong for this recipe in my opinion.) The original recipe is from the Filippo Berio site, which was also the source of the Mediterranean Chocolate Cake recipe that I converted to gluten free.
I made this cake dairy free by using full-fat canned coconut milk, although you can use dairy milk if you like. However, I’m pretty sold on the moisture and dense texture provided by the coconut milk in this recipe. If you consistently eat dairy, this just might be one time you want to try eating dairy free.
I made this pound cake for my dad’s birthday. Good thing the recipe made two loaves. Son was home for the weekend and ended up eating almost one entire loaf by himself, and then more from the second loaf later.
He told me I should sell this cake in individual slices for $4 or $5 … “Mom, I’m serious. You could make a fortune.” And, he’s mentioned his love of this cake and his entrepreneurial ideas for me several times since.
Before he headed home, he asked me to slice the remaining part of the loaf into individual pieces as a “to-go package” for easy eating while on the road. Then, he offered to deliver the remaining pound cake loaf to my Dad when he stopped by to say hello on his way out of town.
Do I need to tell you what happened? He ate all of his to-go package before he arrived and then ate some more of Dad’s pound cake when it was offered. In case you need any more endorsement than that, please know that this cake is very easy to make and delightfully moist.
All the previous gluten-free pound cakes I’ve made were dry the following day (if not later that same day), but that’s not the case with this one. Woohoo!
If you are a not a fan of pound cake as a dessert by itself, feel free to top a slice with some fresh fruit. Like strawberries and whipped cream for a strawberry shortcake-type dish. That’s exactly how gfe reader/friend Ginny creates here Strawberry Shortcake as you can see from her photo below. Or you could drizzle a slice with your favorite chocolate or fruit syrup.
You can even make an elegant pot of chocolate fondue, cut this pound cake into squares, skewer with a toothpick, and dip into that chocolate fondue. The results will be amazing!
Thankfully, easy, gluten-free chocolate fondue recipes abound. Here’s an allergy-friendly one from Cook IT Allergy Free. (I am definitely craving fondue after looking at Kim’s photo!)
I even found another allergy-friendly chocolate fondue recipe at Go Dairy Free. I suspect it might be easy to make a fondue using the coconut milk left over from this pound cake recipe with some dairy-free chocolate.
Enjoying fondue is such a fun thing to do for Valentine’s Day. I attended a party at Christmas where there was chocolate fondue. But, the fondue had already been cross-contaminated from folks dipping in hunks of gluten-containing pound cake, so it didn’t matter that there was fruit available for dipping.
Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed that I could not partake, so I think having a chocolate fondue party for two would be something special for us to do on Valentine’s Day. I already know how special this Perfect Gluten-Free Pound Cake is!
Don’t forget to check out the previous SSS entries … Surprise Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and Cinnamon-Sugar-Crusted Popovers.
Perfect Gluten-Free Pound Cake Recipe
I don't use the word "perfect" too often, but this recipe really does yield perfect gluten-free pound cake! Honestly, even if you're not gluten free, you will find that this pound cake truly is perfect! Adapted from Filippio Berio. Reader Wendy lives at a higher altitude---6600 ft---and she adjusted oven temperature to 375 degrees with successful results. Coconut oil works fine in this recipe, but produces a cake that's lighter in flavor. I prefer the richer taste that the light olive oil provides. (Again, please do not use extra virgin olive oil in this recipe as the flavor is too strong.) Pans can be greased with whichever oil you use. Two loaf pans are what the original recipe calls for and what I used. Don't worry too much over the size of the pans, although you may have to adjust cooking times. The original recipe called for 6 3/4" x 3 1/2" x 2" loaf pans. I (and one gfe reader) used 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 5/8" pans. I don't taste either the coconut milk or orange juice in this recipe; perhaps they balance each other, but all I taste is "good." Last, I love the crunchy edges of this pound cake recipe. The end pieces are my absolute favorite.Perfect Gluten-Free Pound Cake
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Kay Guest says
Hi Shirley! Thank you for sharing this wonderful poundcake recipe! Like you, I also LOVE poundcake and would be thrilled to make a gluten free one for my husband. Just a thought about the orange juice..I like to make chunky applesauce with a little sugar, cinnamon and ORANGE JUICE! When I told my Dad this, he made an Apple Cobbler with orange segments! It was wonderful! This is how he put it…”You cain’t really taste the orange..it’s just good.” (Hope you don’t mind me spelling “can’t” that way…but my father is 83 and has a wonderful Southern country boy accent..and is STILL a wonderful cook!) Thanks again for a great recipe! Kay Guest
Shirley says
Hey there, Kay!–I always love your comments. 🙂 I can just hear your dad saying this. We speak Southern here at gfe! And, how right your dad is … you can’t taste the orange or the coconut, but it does make it taste good … really good! BTW, I’ve never heard of adding orange juice or orange segments to apple dishes, but why not? It’s amazing how unexpected additions can change a recipe with the subtle flavors added. Major kudos to your dad who’s still cooking great food at 83! Now, since you’re a pound cake girl, I think you’ll really like this one and hope your hubby does, too! Let us know, of course. 😉
Shirley
Joy says
I so love this recipe.
How do i make this into a lemon pound cake? Please reply
Shirley Braden says
Hi Joy–It’s good to see you again! I’ve not made a lemon version but another blogger friend, Alta, of Tasty Eats At Home, modified my version to create a lemon pound cake. She said: “I followed Shirley’s instructions, subbing lemon juice for the orange juice, and adding 2 teaspoons of lemon extract. I also glazed the top making a simple lemon glaze – 1 cup of powdered sugar, about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and a few tablespoons of water.” Hope that helps!
Shirley
Margaret Fehrenbacher says
Hi Shirley. I would like to make pound cakes and others like bread. I,m Gluten Free and very very low sodium. can i omit the sodium in most bake goods. i can not fine a bread recipe that works for me. Starving for breads and sweets . Sincerely Margaret Fehrenbacher.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Margaret–Welcome to gfe. 🙂 I’m sorry but I have no experience in low-sodium baking of any kind. I asked a gluten-free blogger friend who excels at gluten-free bread if she had any input on baking low sodium with gluten-free bread and she replied: “I think she would need to cut back the liquid some (when eliminating the salt), but I’m not sure how it would turn out.” I’m going to ask your question on my gfe Facebook page to see if other readers have a good source of low-sodium bread and other baking recipes. Hopefully, I’ll get some responses and if I do, I’ll come back here to share them with you, Margaret.
Shirley
Pam says
YUMM! YUMM! I love pound cake with strawberries and some whippy! Looks Delish!
xoxo
Shirley says
Hi Pam–It’s always nice to get your approval! LOL “Whippy” … you make everything sound more fun. 😉
Thanks so much! Hugs,
Shirley
Iris says
I don’t think I ever had a really good pound cake…even when I was eating gluten. I would definitely try this one when I’m eating normally again. 🙂 It looks nice and moist.
Shirley says
Iris–I may be visiting Son tomorrow, so I might have to make this recipe again this evening. I’m imaging that delicious end piece right now. 😉 Sounds like you deserve a really good pound cake. Good pound cake is a fine thing indeed. Let me know when you make it … gosh, you have a “to make” list piling up for after your elimination diet. 🙂
Shirley
Alta says
Wow. Sounds wonderful. I only fairly recently came to love pound cake. When I was a kid, the only pound cakes I remember were store-bought…blech. Dry and forgettable. But the widow of our company’s founder and former CEO bakes all sorts of goodies for our company every Christmas, and before I went gluten-free, I remember having a lemon pound cake she made. Heaven. If I wanted to make a lemon version of this cake, how would you recommend I modify it? Should I sub lemon juice for the OJ, add some lemon zest, and drizzle with a lemon glaze? Oh my, I’m craving it already.
Shirley says
Hi Alta–Thanks! Yes, I remember those store-bought pound cakes. Few things tasted more processed than those! Oooh, that lemon pound cake sounds wonderful. I think your ideas for making a lemon version of this recipe sound good. While I don’t advise tasting raw eggs, if you’re one who tastes cookie dough, you might even taste the batter to see if it’s lemony enough. The lemon juice is probably not enough to make a lemon taste unless you use dairy milk vs coconut milk (I think the thick coconut milk “disguises” the fruit juice added. But, the lemon zest and lemon glaze should do the trick nicely. I’m imagining the flavors right now myself … yum.
Shirley
Alta says
Okay so I made this tonight. Several things – fyi, in your steps, you don’t mention when to add the sugar, juice, or vanilla extract. (I just added dry to dry, wet to wet.) Anyway, I made a lemon version – I used the zest and juice of 2 lemons. Also added 1 tsp of almond extract. I think next time I need to change up a few things. One, I added more juice than you called for, and I didn’t really up my dry ingredients. I also baked it in a single 5 X 9 loaf pan. I took it out at 60 minutes, but it was still underdone in the center. Should I have split the batter into 2 loaf pans of this size? Or maybe lowered the temp and just baked longer – with a bit more flour mixture, perhaps. Even still, the flavor in this cake was absolutely delicious. I am definitely making it again.
Shirley says
Hi Alta–Thanks so much for the feedback; it’s always greatly appreciated. Yep, I see that I left out part of a step. The sugar, juice, and vanilla extract get added to the olive oil, but as you determined, wet to wet and dry to dry works, too. My sincere apologies for the omission … I’ve fixed it now. The recipe is designed for two loaf pans, and I just added more wording to make that clear. Because lemons vary in size and how much juice you can get from two equal-sized lemons even varies greatly, I like using measurements for the amounts of juice. (I’m the same when it comes to mashed bananas, etc. in recipes.) I just did some looking around at other lemon pound cake recipes to see how much lemon juice and zest were added. Of course, the amounts varied greatly. But, if you don’t want to adjust the flour amount (and I’d be hesitant to know the exact adjustment to make), I’d go for about 2 tsp lemon juice and 4 tsp lemon zest, for this recipe next time. A small amount of lemon extract could be added, too, to help add that little sharp pucker of lemon taste without adding extra liquid. Finally, if the cake still comes out with less lemon taste than you’d like, you could make a lovely lemon glaze with your remaining lemon juice. There are many recipes online, but just adding lemon juice to some confectioner’s sugar or mixing lemon juice and agave and heating/reducing until syrup thickness should provide a nice glaze to pour or drizzle over your pound cake. Hope that helps! I’m so very sorry about the glitches, but I’m thrilled that you found your cake “absolutely delicious” despite the difficulties. 🙂 I’ll be anxious to hear how your next one turns out!
Thanks again, Alta. 🙂
Shirley
Alta says
Thanks so much again Shirley. Well, my juice measured to 4 tablespoons, so that was part of it. The zest was nearly a tablespoon – but adding more zest would’ve definitely been the way to boost the flavor (and the yummy yellow lemon color!). I thought about lemon extract as I was tasting the batter…of course, I don’t have any. Anyway, wonderful recipe – and my favorite parts were the crusts too!
Shirley says
Alta–You’re welcome, of course. 🙂 Sounds like you’ve figured out a great plan for your next version of this cake … I’ll be looking forward to it on your blog! Of course, I’ve been wanting lemon pound cake ever since I read your comment. I think it would be great for a girlfriends’ tea or a support group meeting. There are only two of us at home the majority of time, so I have to be careful when I make these goodies. 😉
Thanks!
Shirley
Val says
Great recipes!
One thing I have found helpful is to add frozen juice concentrates to recipes to get that intense flavor. Try a natural frozen lemonade concentrate (melted) in place of the juice.
Shirley says
Hi Val–First, welcome to gfe! I believe you may be on the gfe FB page, but this is your first time commenting here. I appreciate it, and your very kind words! 🙂
For those who use frozen juice concentrates, that is a great idea for more intense flavor indeed. 😉
Shirley
Yadi says
I have all of these ingredients at home, so I am soooo making this tonight! Thanks for posting this recipe. I am soooo excited to make it.
Shirley says
Yadi–I’m waiting to hear … hoping this recipe turned out phenomenally for you. 🙂 I always worry when others make my recipes. Fingers (and toes) crossed …
Shirley
Jenn/CinnamonQuill says
I’ve been SEARCHING for the perfect GF pound cake recipe (to no avail), so I cannnnnnnot wait to try this. Thank you, thank you. I need to buy eggs and then I can get to work. I can taste it now. Yummmmm.
Shirley says
Hi Jenn–You’re welcome and thank you for always taking the time to leave such “warm fuzzy” comments! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think. Yes, yummm, for sure. 😉
Shirley
Wendy says
Thank you for this recipe and all the others you have shared with us.
My mother taught me a decadent way to eat pound cake, which would work great when it gets a little dry.
She would toast slices under the broiler then spread them with butter.
YUMMMM!
She also introduced me to hot fudge sundays, and whipped cream in coffee. Bad mommy!
Shirley says
Aww, thanks so much, Wendy! It’s my pleasure to share with you and others. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your mom’s tips. LOL on “bad mommy” … she sure sounds like fun! My mom would broil leftover pound cake, too. We didn’t add butter though. She also broiled cake doughnuts … they were like the best thing on earth. Seriously. Better than eating one as it was. When I make gluten-free doughnuts, I need to broil a few. Stay tuned. 😉
Hugs,
Shirley
P.S. Looks like you’re new to gfe (or at least commenting)—let me extend an official welcome! 🙂
Lauren says
Pound cake for me only happens with fondue. I’ve never really had it as dessert though (although I have been eyeing a few lately ;D). This looks super yummy. Want to send me some? I’d be up for any type ;D.
Shirley says
Hi Lauren–Hey, if that’s the only way you’ve had pound cake before, that’s not bad at all! Yes, super yummy, so it might be time to change your ways. LOL 🙂 I’m so glad you’re flexible on what kind you’ll accept. I’ll see what I can do. 😉
Shirley
Jessie says
Oh my goodness, would you look at that cake! Wow, you nailed it 🙂
One of these days when I’m ambitious again 😉 I’ll have to try this.
I wondered if you could send me that link to the Easy Eats publication? Thanks for letting me know about that! Congrats to you too!
Kassia says
I just made this, it’s soooo good! My (rather picky) 4 year old son can’t get enough of it! I’ve had a hard time finding a cake he likes (not that that’s such a bad thing)for birthdays, etc. He keeps coming back into the kitchen and asking for more. We’ll be having this along with some gf brownies, marshmallows and fruit with chocolate fondue sunday night. Thanks for the great recipe!
Shirley says
Hi Kassia–Great to see you again! 🙂 Oh my goodness, I am just thrilled that the pound cake turned out so well for you and your son loves it. Just makes my day plus much more. I was agonizing earlier today, thinking that perhaps I had entered the recipe info wrong. So it’s such wonderful news on that front as well to hear that the recipe worked great for you. 🙂
Sounds like you have a very special and fun Valentine’s Day evening planned. Love that! Enjoy! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment with such good news!
Shirley
Jenn/CinnamonQuill says
This pound cake is the real deal. I’ve been trying pound cake recipes since going GF and haven’t found one that comes close, let alone a dairy-free recipe. Who would have thought that olive oil and coconut milk are the secrets of wonderful GF pound cake?! You did, apparently. Thank you for a wonderful, wonderful recipe. The only downside is that I cannot stop eating it. The crust and texture are so impressive; this is my new cake of choice.
I used two 8×4 pans, and they baked to perfection in about 55 minutes 🙂
Shirley says
Hi Jenn–I’m doing back flips here … such great news! I’ve been waiting anxiously to hear your feedback. 🙂 I’ve been learning that olive oil makes rich baked goods and I just used coconut milk because that’s my “go-to” non-dairy milk. And, yes, it just so happens that the combination makes for a great pound cake. Gluten-free, dairy-free baking serendipity. 😉 And, frankly, I’m still amazed that you can get two loaves of great pound cake from a recipe that only requires 3 eggs. Usually pound cakes require about twice that number. So another winning factor.
Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know about your success!
Shirley
Chaya says
This is my husband’s kind of cake. Thanks. Thanks from him, too. He just doesn’t know it yet.
Shirley says
Chaya–LOL … hope your husband and you both love the pound cake. Please let us know. 🙂
Shirley
Jenn says
Absolutely gorgeous pound cake! I imagine this would be very good with a strawberry or raspberry coulis on top of it too, though fondue is always tasty. So sorry that you can’t enjoy a lot of other flours, but it looks like this pound cake did just fine with rice flour and cornstarch!
Shirley says
Hey Jenn–Nice to see you, and thanks so much! Every dish you make has star photo quality, so your praise makes me feel good. 🙂 Oh, yes, either coulis would be lovely and make this a high-end restaurant quality dessert. Even though I can’t tolerate the other flours, I’m sure you could use a healthier, but still “light” flour mix. I’ve found the white rice flour and cornstarch mix to work well in most recipes. I did just get some finely ground brown rice flour and plan to experiment with adding that into my flour mix some.
Thanks again … need to visit your blog and see what you’ve been cooking up of late! 😉
Shirley
Wendy says
I made this pound cake today, YUMMY! I live at 6600ft and the only adjustment I made for the altitude was to bake it at 375 instead of 350. This helps set the structure.
Wendy in NM
Shirley says
Hi Wendy–Thank so much for letting us know! Great news! 🙂 I especially appreciate the info about the altitude adjustment. I’m going to add that info into the post, because it could be really helpful to others.
Now I hope your cake stays nice and moist, so you don’t have to go decadent and broil with butter. 😉
Thanks so much! 🙂
Shirley
Kay Guest says
Shirley, I made this PERFECT Pound Cake. It truly is PERFECT. Since I only have one loaf pan, I made one loaf and the rest of the batter, I put into two cake pans, and just made a simple icing and made a two layer cake with vanilla icing!(Of course, the two small cakes cooked in half the time.) My husband loved them both! I followed your directions exactly and so I thank you for this great recipe. Please anyone reading this, MAKE THIS CAKE! Forget any dry poundcake you have eaten in the past, this is the moistest cake ever! Thanks again, Shirley! 🙂 Kay
Shirley says
Hi Kay–Thanks so much for your wonderful review! And, it sounds like you turned your loaf pan deficit into a cake bonanza—very creative and yummy! I’m so glad your husband really enjoyed both versions. 🙂
I always greatly appreciate your comments and your feedback, Kay! Hmmm, I’m thinking I need to try your layer-cake version … 😉
Shirley
Fire-Eyes Roth says
THANK YOU……
I have been trying to figure out a recipe like this of years…I will be trying this on Saturday. I thank you and my family thanks you..
so excited…
Live Laugh and Enjoy!
Shirley says
Hi Fire-Eyes! Awww, you’re welcome. 🙂 I’ll be looking forward to your feedback. Keeping my fingers crossed that your experience will be like all the other positive ones. BTW, Alta over at Tasty Eats At Home, even made a lemon version of this pound cake. You can read about the changes she made and see her drool-worthy photo here.
I’ll be waiting … 😉
Shirley
Linda says
Somehow I missed this recipe last month, so I’m glad you linked up this week. It looks delicious and I hope to give it a try soon.
Shirley says
Thanks, Linda. So far everyone has loved this recipe. I hope you and your family will, too! 🙂
Shirley
Brian says
MMMM, pound cake! I can’t wait for strawberry season to accompany this. Looks delicious!
Shirley says
Hi Brian–Thanks! I remember you making a pretty fine pound cake last year, too. 🙂 Strawberries are a great topping for pound cake. I’m ready for the warmer weather that will bring fresh strawberries!
Shirley
Stacey says
Do you think the recipe would work with ‘Pamela’s Baking Mix’instead of the gf blend, leaving out the baking powder since this mix already has it in it??
Thanks for your input.
Stacey
Shirley says
Hi Stacey–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I looked at Pamela’s site and found this info, which says that Pamela’s baking mix contains 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp baking soda. So, you’re right, definitely leave out the baking powder. Of course, the pound cake doesn’t call for baking soda, but that is such a small amount that I’m hoping it won’t have a negative effect. I can’t say with 100% certainty that Pamela’s mix will work, but it should. Give it a try and report back please. I’m sure others use Pamela’s mix and would appreciate the info on how it works for this recipe. Fingers crossed! 😉
Shirley
Heidi Kelly says
Wow Shirley! I just saw this post today, via The Cinnamon Quill, beautiful! This is precisely why I NEVER GET ANYTHING DONE! I have dropped what I was planning to do because I must now have pound cake! 🙂 Thank you.
Have you ever used Ground Mace in a pound cake?
Shirley says
Hi Heidi–I’m wondering if you made the pound cake. I must make another one soon because Son has been whining for, uh, I mean asking for one. 😉 I haven’t made a pound cake with mace, but I may have enjoyed one before going gf. I used to have mace in my spice cabinet, but don’t think I do right now. I used it in gingerbread if I recall. Can’t wait to hear about your version and how it turns out … fingers crossed! 🙂
Shirley
Toni says
Hi Shirley,
I just was referred to your site via The Cinnamon Quill and love your sweet sense of humor. I am recently diagnosed gluten/egg/garlic(??) intolerant and am new to GF recipes. I wonder if you would be willing to try to alter a friend’s favorite sweet bread recipe? I will leave the recipe here and wait for a reply as to whether you are interested or not.
1 pkgs yeast
1/4 C warm water
1 C Whipping Cream
1/4 Evaporated Milk
3 Egg yolks
3 1/3 C flour
1/42 C Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 C Butter
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix in cream, milk, egg yolks. Stir flour, sugar, salt. Cut in butter w/ pastry blender. Stir yeast mixture into dry, incorporate well. Spread dough with light film of butter to prevent drying, cover and refrig. Shape and bake. My friend fills with cinnamon/sugar/butter then drizzles cream cheese/sugar/lemon glaze over top or sometimes fills with Almond paste/sugar/sliced almonds w same glaze… I LOVE these and think I can never eat them again, unless you can help? Blessings to you,
Toni
Shirley says
Hi Toni–Welcome to gfe! What a very nice thing to say about my sense of humor—thank you! How wonderful that you came over from Jennifer’s blog, Cinnamon Quill … she’s one of my faves. 🙂 As far as your listing, when I was first diagnosed gluten intolerant, I was also diagnosed as intolerant to some other foods like onions, egg whites, and a few other strange ones that I can’t remember. I mention that since you are questioning the garlic intolerance. In my case, I didn’t eat those others for the first 6 mos I was gluten intolerant. Then I started reintroducing them. Most I have no isssues with now. Some doctors think that it’s the whole leaky gut issue and you’re going to test sensitive/intolerant to whatever you’re eating at the time … until you heal. Gluten stays off the table, but it’s possible that you may be able to eat the others another time. All that depends on what your doctor says, what type of testing you had, etc.
Now as far as your recipe, based on your issues, you’re asking me to convert this to both gluten free and egg free, right? While I’d be happy to convert it to gluten free, converting it to egg free would not be in my current area of expertise. I just haven’t done much in the way of egg-free baking. BUT, I can give it a try some time using flax meal and water (to make a substitute for an egg). I’m just not sure when because I have lots going on right now with my support group and presentations in the community and other commitments. I have lot of blogging buddies who do egg-free, gf baking, but in those cases they are usually dairy free, too. I’ll do my best and get back to you though. And, please know that you’ll find new versions of your old favorites or even better versions gluten free. It will all work out and you’ll feel so much better not eating foods you are intolerant to. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again! All the best,
Shirley
Shelly Thompson says
I made this cake and it is fabulous!!
The only change I made was to put it in a bundt pan. I greased and rice floured the pan. It took the same amount of time to bake. My family can’t believe that it is gluten-free. This is definitely my ‘go to’ cake from now on.
Thank you, Shirley!
Shirley says
Hi Shelly–Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and let us all here at gfe know about your success with my pound cake recipe! I love that you made it in a Bundt pan. I’m going to do that … maybe tomorrow as I have a birthday party for which I’m providing the dessert. 🙂 I love that I’ve given you your new “go to” cake recipe. That just makes my day!
Thanks again, Shelly! Many hugs,
Shirley
Mir says
I can confirm that this recipe works wonderfully with the Pamela’s Baking Mix — I made it tonight and fed it to my (gluten-eating) family with strawberries, and we all loved it. I didn’t have any coconut milk on hand, so I used a combination of milk and Greek yogurt (trying to approximate the thickness of coconut milk) and it seemed to work.
Since giving up wheat I have all but given up baked goods, as the GF stuff always seems hardly worth the bother and calories. But this I will definitely make again. Thank you!!
Shirley says
Hi Mir–It looks like it might be your first time commenting here at gfe–welcome! 🙂 I’m so excited that you had this wonderful success with the pound cake recipe! I love when you can make gluten-free recipes that keep you safe (presumedly, you are the one who is eating gf), but that you all can enjoy eating. I think you’ll find lots of baking recipes here at gfe that meet that criteria. 😉
Thanks so much!
Shirley
Carla says
I also used Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix. I omitted the baking soda and the xanthan gum as the mix contains both. I also used on-hand almond milk instead of coconut milk I didn’t have. It is definitely thinner by comparison but the cake baked up beautifully and was enjoyed by everybody at our Independence Day celebration.
Next time I might just slightly decrease the oil to adjust for personal taste.
Thank you for the fantastic recipe!!
Shirley says
Welcome to gfe, Carla! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your review. I’m so glad your family enjoyed it! Different flour mixes will absorb the oil differently so, yes, one might have to adjust the oil amount sometimes. The white rice flour and cornstarch mix I use absorbs the oil—and the fat in the coconut milk—well, so that amount works. You might want to try it with full-fat coconut milk next time. I think you’ll like it even more! But it’s good to know that different milks can work pretty well. 🙂
Shirley
Selene says
A solution to achieving a good lemony taste for pound cake is to use Boyajian’s Pure Lemon Oil in place of lemon juice and zest. I bought mine at Williams Sonoma but I’m sure you can find it elsewhere on the internet. It is extremely concentrated. It is also incredible when used in a lemon glaze.
Thanks for your gluten/dairy/soy free baking suggestions. My husband is most grateful!
Shirley says
Hi Selene–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 Thanks so much for the tip on the pure lemon oil! Of course, I had to search for it right away and found it at Amazon. I love the sound of it! I found that you can buy it individually or in sampler packs with orange oil and lime oil. All sound great to me! Key lime pound cake, perhaps? I like the idea of that, too. And, lemon glaze … ooh, must try. If I don’t get this from Amazon right away, I’ll certainly look for it the next time I’m at Williams Sonoma. Thanks so much for telling all of us at gfe about it, Selene!
Thanks, too, for the kind words on my my recipes … it’s so rewarding to know that folks are finding the recipes helpful! All the best to you and your husband and look forward to seeing you here more at gfe!
Shirley
KathyinMD says
This pound cake is amazing. Not only is the crust excellent, but the taste and texture are wonderful – even the day after! I can’t imagine why anyone would want to dip this in fondue because it’s so good all by itself.
When I greased the pans, I sprinkled sugar on it too. I read about doing that with another sweet bread and it’s pretty good – either straight sugar or a cinnamon-sugar mix.
I also really appreciate the GFE flexibility of using whatever GF flour mix I have on hand. I don’t feel comfortable doing that when the recipe gives a specific combination of flours in a recipe. And whenever someone says to use their “special” blend, it always makes too much and then what do I do with the left over 1/4 – 1/2 cup of their special blend? I put it in GFE recipes!!! For this recipe, I used the authentic flour brand blend and reduced the xanthan gum by 1/2 teaspoon and in case I haven’t already made this clear, it made an unbelievably wonderful perfect pound cake. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Shirley says
Hi Kathy–Thanks so very much for coming back with this delightful report on my pound cake! I use the cinnamon-sugar mix on my molasses banana bread and my special popovers, but haven’t tried it on pound cake yet. 😉 Bet it makes a lovely presentation, too.
I’m so glad you are using and appreciating the gfe concept! It just makes life so much simpler, doesn’t it? I greatly admire folks who know all the “chemistry” of flours and like figuring out the best texture for each recipe, but I like to keep it simple for myself and others. I appreciate you sharing your variations on this recipe, and I’m tickled pink that you love it so much. I’m actually going to make this recipe for a neighbor a little later.
Hugs,
Shirley
Melissa Lake says
Just made this today and it is SO good! Yum! I used a mix of rice flour and potato starch since that is what I had on hand. I actually am using it for a dessert for the 4th of July that calls for pound cake. I only used one loaf for that recipe, so I cubed up the second loaf and will use it for strawberry shortcake! I’m so glad I found this recipe. Thanks!!!
Shirley says
Hi Melissa–First, it looks like you are new to gfe—welcome. 🙂 Now as far as your success with my pound cake recipe … I’m doing the happy dance here! 😉 It’s absolutely wonderful to get your feedback! Two desserts from the one recipe sounds even better—great job. 🙂 I have a brand new recipe index. I hope you’ll look around and find others that you like. 😉
All the best and happy 4th!
Shirley
DP says
WOW, WOW, WOW, Shirley!!!! This is amazingly delicious pound cake: so dense, moist, and perfect! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Shirley says
Hi DP–Oh, what happy, happy feedback—thanks so very much! You have totally made my day. 🙂 I’m thrilled you enjoyed my pound cake so much! Son just fussed at me for not having one made yet for his visit home. 😉
And, it looks like you are new to gfe–welcome!
Thanks again … have a great weekend, DP!
Shirley
DP says
Thanks for the warm welcome, Shirley! You made my day when I made this a couple of weeks ago, so I’m happy to have made your day!
I look forward to trying more of your recipes. However, I’m going to make the pound cake again this weekend and wanted to ask you if you have tried making a lemon version, either as part of the cake itself or with a glaze. Please advise as I’m not a very good baker. Thanks!
Shirley says
DP– 🙂 I haven’t made a lemon version, but my friend, Alta (Tasty Eats At Home), made a lemon version of my pound cake AND with a glaze, so you’re in luck! You can read her modifications here. They’re very simple, so you should have no problems making it, although I doubt what you say about not being a very good baker. 😉 Again, check out Alta’s photo and directions here. Hope you’ll report back to both me and Alta, if you’re successful! BTW, this question came at the perfect time because I’m writing a post on great food Christmas gifts and I’d mentioned my pound cake, but had forgotten about Alta’s lemon version. Now I’ve inluded that, thanks to you! 🙂
Hugs,
Shirley
Johnetta says
Hey there Shirley!
I’m new to your site and so excited!!!!!!!!!
Quick question, As you know Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching…will your recipe work wi:
-a bundt pat
-Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
and lastly coconut sugar/?
all the best
Shirley says
Hi Johnetta–Welcome to gfe! I LOVE your enthusiasm … you’ve perked me up this Sunday afternoon as the daylight is already starting to fade in our woods. 😉
First question … in the comments you’ll see that one of my friends/readers made it successfully in a Bundt pan. 🙂
Second question … Jules should work great, but Jules already contains xanthan gum so you need to leave that out.
Third question … I have not tried this recipe with coconut sugar yet. I love coconut sugar and think it *should* work, but can’t be certain. Want to be our guinea pig and let us know what happens? Fingers crossed …
Shirley
Johnetta says
Hi Shirley!!!!!!!!!!!
You ROCK:-)
Thank you for your “kind” zippy response. I’d love to be the guinea pig from not just the coconut sugar way. I’ve never made a pound cake and love them soooo. My grandmother and auntie have been the master bakers for decades but my fam. are the only GF one’s in the family. I looke forward to wowing everyone:-)
I know it’ll be fantastic – YUMMM
Johnetta says
ohhh Happy Thanksgiving – All 🙂
Shirley says
Hey Johnetta–I wasn’t quite as zippy on this one. 😉 And, BIG THANKS on your kind words … like I said before, you sure know how to make a girl feel good. 🙂
Hope you’ll do a test run before you share with others just in case the coconut sugar “behaves” differently. Otherwise, I know this pound cake will lift you to that master baker pedestal! Yes, even with a gluten-free pound cake. 😉 Like I said, fingers crossed on the coconut sugar. If I had some on hand, I’d give it a try right away myself.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, dear!
Shirley
DP says
Shirley, forgive me for not reporting back right away. I made the lemon version, and it was amazing! the only problem I had was the icing being too watery, but adding more powdered sugar fixed that right up! I also made a version of the regular pound cake with butter, and it was to die for! I’m about to try your molasses pumpkin bread/cake and, if I have time, some cookies, too. Then I’m going to have to run a marathon to burn off all the calories!
Shirley says
Hey there, DP!–Great news on the lemon version. 🙂 Oh, I bet the cake would be scrumptious with butter, too. Thanks for sharing your success on both version. Have fun with all your gfe baking! And, LOL, on the marathon … I think we’ll all need to be there running beside you! 😉
Hugs,
Shirley
vickie says
Am having a dinner party sat. and want to try the pound cake and use a reciepe on the none glut free cake you buy were you poke holes and add the milks to it and refrig. What do you think? Have you made it in a bunte pan yet?
Shirley says
Hi vickie–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I’m excited you’re trying the perfect pound cake; folks love it! First, while I personally haven’t made this in a Bundt pan yet, one of my friends did and she shared her experience in comments. Bottom line—she said it worked great. As far as your other question, it sounds like you want to poke holes and pour a glaze-like mixture over all to allow the glaze to seep into the cake. I see no reason why it woudn’t work. This cake is great on its own, but I *think* that should work fine. I can’t say for sure, of course. Best of luck and please report back to us all!
Thanks!
Shirley
Wendy Hahn says
Hi Vicki,
I make this cake in a Bundt pan all the time. Works fine. I think your idea of using the pound cake as a base for Tres leche cake sounds like a great idea. I’ll have to try that myself sometime.
Shirley says
Hi Wendy–Thanks so much for jumping in to help Vickie! I was obviously not connecting all the dots. 😉 Can you believe I’ve never had Tres Leches Cake before? Now it sounds like I need to make a Perfect Tres Leches Cake. 🙂 Thanks so much to you and Vickie for bringing up this topic!
Hugs,
Shirley
Marjorie says
Hi Just made this pound cake but used granulated honey instead of sugar( easier to digest for diabetics) and I am glad it makes 2 loaves! My husband loves pound cake and he is now on a gluten free salt free diet. I did not put any salt in it and still came out moist and yummy! I think this would be great with strawberries for shortcake. Thanks so much!
Shirley says
Hi Marjorie–It looks like you’re new here at gfe–welcome. 🙂 I’m so happy you had such success with your version of my pound cake! Even though we keep bees, I’m not familiar with granulated honey other than honey that has crystallized, but I don’t think you’re talking about that. Must investigate further–thanks! And you’re right, I’m sure this pound cake would be great as strawberry “shortcake.” Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know about your success, Marjorie!
Shirley
Mary says
I loved your pound cake, Shirley! Yumm, it was wonderful! I posted pictures and rave reviews.
http://www.glutenfreespinner.com/2011/06/shirleys-pound-cake.html
Shirley says
Hi Mary–I love that you are now a perfect pound cake fan! 🙂 I’m so honored by your beautiful post, too. Your photos are always gorgeous, but I think these are exceptional … now if only I could reach through the screen and grab a piece of that cake. And way cool that you used sweet rice flour and it worked just fine. That’s great for folks to know! 🙂
Thanks again, dear! I love having you test my recipes, especially when you try out slight tweaks and share your success. 😉 xo,
Shirley
Eileen says
Thanks for the great recipe and notes! I found this recipe via godairyfree.org, and we don’t have gluten issues, so I used regular AP flour and adjusted the temp for altitude. I only had regular EVOO, so that’s what I used. It turned out ok – certainly yummy, but I could taste the oil. The texture was perfection!! I just had to give it another go with the proper ingredients… but then I found sweet almond oil when I was looking for light olive oil, and I’m glad I took that chance. It turned out so yummy! We used it to make a school bus shaped cake for a back to school party. My daughter was so excited that she could eat any and all parts of the cake. Thanks again for sharing!
Shirley says
Hi Eileen–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 It’s wonderful that you found my recipe through Alisa’s great site. Thanks for the feedback on regular EVOO being too strong in this recipe. EVOO usually works well with chocolate recipes, but yes, light makes sense in this recipe. A sweet almond oil recipe sounds incredible! And OMG, I love the school bus-shaped cake idea. I’m going to share that idea on my Facebook page for those who haven’t gone back to school yet. 😉
Thanks so much, Eileen!
Shirley
Linda Gardner says
OH boy. I am so sorry to report that I was very much like your son. The first one disappeared in record time, and the 2nd soon followed. Feeling bereft when there was no more poundcake, I made 2 more. Then 2 more. I wish I could report that we ate pound cake for weeks, but WEEK would be more honest.
My non-GF honey was eating it just as fast as I was, and NOW we know what to serve those guests so I don’t have to make two desserts!
I know I SHOULD shred this recipe…….:0)
Shirley says
Hi Linda–It looks like this is your first time commenting at gfe–welcome! And WOW! 🙂 Of course, I absolutely love your review, athough I take no responsibility for the number of gfe pound cakes consumed. LOL
Serioulsy, I’m thrilled that you and your “honey” enjoyed this recipe so much and that you now have a recipe that you can happily serve to all your guests! And don’t worry too much … I doubt that you’ll keep up this pace of pound cake consumption. 😉
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this delightful comment!
Shirley
Stephanie says
I made this for my father’s birthday, and everyone loved it!
Shirley says
Hi Stephanie–It looks like you are new to gfe–welcome! 🙂 How wonderful to read this review. I love that you made it for your father’s birthday and everyone enjoyed it. 🙂 I have to agree that it’s very, very good. 😉
Shirley
Debi says
I’m so glad you posted this on FB today. I realized that I missed making Amaretto Bread last year for my first gf Christmas. I was thinking about how to do a pound cake and now I don’t have to think! I can just use your recipe as a jumping off point. 😀
Angela says
Hello Shirly,
I thought I’d drop in to show you that I do come to your website frequently. And that poundcake – I’ll report back after the weekend how it turnes out! The only thing that’s holding me back from whipping up a batch right this moment is that I don’t have all the ingredients – otherwise I would be in the kitchen even at this hour! 🙂 Thanks Shirley!
Shirley says
Hey Angela–I’m wondering if you’ve made the pound cake by now. No worries if not, but I know you and your famiy will love it! 🙂
Shirley
Jenn says
Hi! I used your pound cake recipe as the base for cake in my mock TastyKake Peanut Butter KandyKake recipe. Gluten and dairy free! 🙂 They are amazing!!!
http://mudpiesandcranberryteagoallergenfree.blogspot.com/2012/01/gluten-free-dairy-free-mock-tastycake.html
Shirley says
Hi Jenn–I was tickled pink to read your comment when it arrived in my In Box! I absolutely LOVE that you were able to use my pound cake to create some amazing treats of your own! They look and sound phenomenal. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing that news with us!
Shirley
Angela says
Whow! Whow! Whow! Just made this pound cake, and it was outstanding! Soooo good! Shirley, this was fantastic! It tasted so good, and I also love your simple gluten free flour mixture, it works well and it doesn’t give the cake any “weird” taste.
…and I thought I would be loosing weight on a gluten free diet…. 😉
My family loved it as well, and so did every person that was lucky enough to get some. Will make this a lot – pound cake is one of my very favorite things to bake!
Shirley says
Hi Angela–Thank you so much for reporting back, dear. 🙂 I’m a pound cake lover, too, as I shared in the post, so I’m thrilled that I am keeping the love going gluten-free style, and in the easiest way with that easy gluten-free flour mix. 😉
Thanks for reminding folks that this recipe works well in a Bundt pan, too. Others have said that and it definitely makes for a great presentation. The most unique presentation though came from one reader who turned the loaf into a school bus cake for a Back to School party! Clever and fun, huh?
Enjoy, dear! I’m so happy about all the success you’ve had with gluten-free baking. As you implied, to think that one would be depriving one’s self and losing weight when gluten free because of not getting delicious homebaked goodies couldn’t be further from the truth. 😉
Hugs,
Shirley
Angela says
..and I made it in a Bundt pan simply because I didn’t have a loaf pan – it turned out perfect!
Nikki says
I’m so glad to find this! I enjoy making cakes for my daughters’ birthday parties and i’ve wanted to try making a GF cake, but was concerned because they really need to be pound cake density. Now to find a healthier icing that still works for decorating!
Shirley says
Hey Nikki–Thanks! I hope you’ll really enjoy it. Readers have used this cake to create all kinds of fun, celebratory cakes. I’m sure you’ll find lots of healthy frosting recipes. Depending on the cake, sometimes even whipped cream made from coconut milk works. 😉
Shirley
Renee says
Absolutely amazing cake! I am not only GF but rice free. I had to make some ‘modifications’ to this as I’m also allergic to olives (so no olive oil!). I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Flour, vegetable oil and used lime juice (I was out of orange). I was also out of full fat coconut milk so I used almond. Just awesome!! My daughter who is not GF said she couldn’t tell it was GF!! I have searched now for almost a year for a cake that we could use for a tier in my other daughter’s wedding cake and I think we have found it!! She will be home in 2 weeks for her birthday (she’s away at grad school!). I can’t wait for her to try this!! Thank you so much!!
Shirley says
Hi Renee–What a pleasure it is to meet you through Stephanie on Facebook! Welcome to gfe. 🙂 To think that you just found out about my pound cake earlier today and have already made these adaptations and made this recipe work for you. And the thought that it might become your daughter’s wedding cake … well, that both totally thrills me and blows me away! Fingers crossed that she will love it as much as you and your other daughter did. 😉
Thanks again, dear!
Shirley
denise mallett says
Shirley I am planning to make a few of these babies for my weekend gathering with girlfriends.These pictures are so enticing, I can’t wait for the awesomeness to dance across my tastebuds. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Shirley says
Hi Denise–You’re welcome, of course. And it’s great to see you again here at gfe! 🙂 I hope you and your girlfriends all love these pound cakes. They’ve been a big hit with everyone who’s made them so far. 😉 I’ll be waiting for your report …
Shirley
Maureen from Arizona says
Just made this pound cake this afternoon. It was FANTASTIC!!! Since I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, I halved the recipe (used 2 eggs) so I made only 1 loaf. Thank you soooo much–pound cake is a great base for so many other desserts, too–It tastes delicious
Shirley says
Hi Maureen–Welcome to gfe and thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review! 🙂 This recipe is definitely a favorite recipe at our house and it’s also loved by my support group members and readers. And you’re right, folks use this recipe for all kinds of other desserts … cupcakes, fondue, shortcake, and much more. I guess you will make two loaves next time 😉 … enjoy!
Thanks again,
Shirley
sam says
how much should i use if i wanted to use butter instead of olive oil.
Thanks for the recipe.
Shirley says
Hi sam–I have no idea how this recipe will turn out with butter as it truly is perfect made with olive oil. However, you could use this substitution chart to see if you could go the other way. Please let me know if it works out.
Shirley
sam says
Ok tried it with butter and halved the ingredients. It’s tasty ! But it was half biscuit like (crunchy) . Have any idea what could be the reason ? And could you please tell me which brand of coconut milk you use?
Thanks
sam says
To put it in a better way. Browned on the sides and undercooked in the middle .
Shirley says
Hi sam–Well, I’m sorry that using butter didn’t work out perfectly for you. This is an example of why bloggers and recipe creators are reluctant to offer suggestions. There can be so many variables and we just don’t know if every substitution will work without having tried each ourselves.
I’ve successfully used all brands of full-fat canned coconut milk in this recipe. Did you use canned coconut milk? Did you use the full-fat kind, not light/lite? What type of flour mix did you use? Some flour mixes are too heavy and will give a biscuit like texture and will not rise enough to cook through the middle. Those are my thoughts right now. Oh, also, is there a reason you don’t want to use olive oil per the recipe?
Thanks!
Shirley
Jessica says
Yay! so happy to have found this recipe! If I am using a gf baking mix (like pamela’s) should I eliminate the xanthan gum?
Shirley says
Hi Jessica–Welcome to gfe! I’m so glad you found this recipe, too. It’s one of the most popular ones here on gfe. Yes, if the flour mix already contains xanthan gum, there should be no need to add more. I’ve never used Pamela’s at all, but hopefully, it will work for you in this cake. Please let us know. 🙂
Btw, I read a few of your posts over at your blog, Seaweed Snacks, and really enjoyed them! For example, yay for wandering skunks that don’t spray. 😉 And thanks for sharing the lesson of “so what.” I really appreciate that one, as I could see its benefits for both tough times in life and “every day” annoyances.
Shirley
Jessica says
Hi Shirley
I just made this today for my CSK (community supported kitchen) shares and it has already gotten amazing reviews! It turned out perfect!!
Thank you again 🙂
Shirley says
Hi again Jessica–That’s such wonderful news! And I am intrigued by your CSK shares … so you guys bake for each other, too? I so appreciate the “perfect” review, dear.
Shirley
Susan W. says
Hi, Shirley! I’m really wanting to try this recipe but I can’t handle that much sugar. What do you think would work in place of the sugar? And can I use just water instead of orange juice, we don’t normally have orange juice on hand. I really miss pound cake and this looks yummy!
Shirley says
Hey Susan–I suggest reading through the comments to get some ideas about sugar replacement. I used this recipe as the starting point for my Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake recipe. In that recipe, I used brown sugar and less of it. I have had great success with using coconut or palm sugar, and sometimes in lesser amounts, but admittedly haven’t tried this recipe with coconut sugar yet. You could use lemon juice or lime juice (as one reader did) in place of the orange juice or probably just omit it or add another liquid (more coconut milk perhaps?) in its place. That adds a nice subtle flavoring, but I don’t think it would be a show stopper to omit it. So, in summary, I think you can definitely make a few adjustments and make this recipe work for you. Be brave! Even if you don’t get it “perfect” the first time, I’d sure it would still be edible toasted and/or with some jam, etc. 😉 Please report back on your experimentation!
Shirley
Susan W. says
Hey, Shirley. I made it with coconut sugar and it tastes great but it fell shortly after I took it out of the oven. Now it’s about half the size it was when I pulled it out. I used a flour blend that has sorghum and millet flour in it. Could that be too heavy?
Shirley says
Hi Susan–Thanks for reporting back! I’m glad that your pound cake tastes great, but so sorry that it fell. 🙁 Those are heavier flours for sure, but it might be a combination of the effect of the flour and the effect of the coconut sugar. A little more of the baking powder might help with the left or a lighter gluten-free flour mix as you indicated. Another idea would be to just make pound cupcakes. The falling fighter might be less (or less noticeable) in that form. I’m so sorry your version didn’t work out exactly as we’d hoped.
Shirley
Susan W. says
Hi, Shirley! I figured out what I needed to do to get the coconut sugar to work. I used your lighter flour blend and the coconut flour but it still fell. So, I decided that it has to be the coconut sugar, it’s too heavy. I tried it again with the lighter flour but I measured out the coconut sugar and ground it down almost to a powder and increased the baking powder a pinch. Perfect! I baked it as a bunt cake and it’s beautiful! Thought I would let you know how it all turned out!
Shirley says
Hey Susan–Oh, I love how you figured out how to make the coconut sugar work. Brilliant!! I know all my gfe readers will appreciate your diligence in figuring it out and the fact that you shared it with us all. I can’t wait to try your method myself! I have to admit that I’m partial to the look of Bundt cakes. 😉
Happy 4th of July, Susan!
Shirley
Gina Suarez says
How can I make this poundcake in my breadmaker?
Shirley says
Hi Gina–It looks like you are new here at gfe–welcome! 🙂 Unfortunately, I cannot answer your question. I have never used a breadmaker and don’t know that it would work for this recipe. Out of curiosity, I googled baking a pound cake in a breadmaker and saw where some had done so successfully, but others had disasters attempting that. The key seemed to be whether one’s breadmaker had a “Cake” setting so the kneading process could be skipped (at least that’s what I surmised from my quick investigation). I’d suggest searching online and reading what others have done, as well, as looking at your breadmaker’s instructions for baking pound cakes. Please let us know if you try it and get it to work!
Shirley
Gina Suarez says
Hi Shirley! Thanks for the quick response. Yes, my breadmaker has a “cake” setting. I bought a bag of Bob’s Red Mill vanilla cake mix and added 3 large eggs, 1/2 cup of milk (instead of water) and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. I also added a pinch of vanilla, almond and lemon extracts, as well as a 1/4 cup of white sugar (didn’t think the batter was sweet enough) and about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips. I walked out the door leaving it on the cake setting (manually set to knead for 17 minutes) and hoped everything turned out well when I arrived. When I arrived home, I saw a beautiful pound cake in the bread maker. It looked as if I took it right out of the oven. Now I just need to figure out how to make it from scratch….but at least this was a win-win situation for a gluten free cake on the first try and was absolutely delicious. Almost gone within a few hours…….and NO, I wasn’t the only one eating it….LOL.
Shirley says
Hi again, Gina–Well, I’m not as quick this time. 🙁 So I guess you can’t skip the knead option? I’m so glad you had success though. It seems that method should work well with my pound cake recipe, too. Good luck!
Shirley
Gina Suarez says
Hi Shirley! Okay, I tried out the recipe the other day, but with coconut oil instead of yours that called for the olive oil. I also used the flour that I had, which was white rice flour and potato starch. It didn’t turn out too well in the breadmaker (my husband disagrees). So I decided to give it another shot today, this time in the oven. I changed a few ingredients though. I still used the same type of flour that I used the other day. I used the olive oil this time, but a little less sugar (1 and little less than 1/4 C), 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of lemon extract to the mix, as well as 1/2 tsp of baking soda and coconut/almond milk. I also mixed it at medium-high speed in the mixer a little longer and used a bunt pan instead. The results were beautiful!….it tastes DEEEEEEELICIOUS!! Now I’m happy! Thanks for helping me be creative with gluten free baking! :0)
Shirley says
Hey Gina–Hooray on your success with your slight variations! Lots of folks have made this cake in a Bundt pan and loved the results. One of my support group members made the recipe using coconut/almond milk for our meeting on Tuesday and used King Arthur gluten-free all-purpose flour mix. Hers was good, but not as good as the original. I think it’s the very best with full-fat coconut milk alone. I’ve made this cake with coconut oil before, too, and coconut oil is just too light to give it the richness needed. It’s fun to see all the variations though, and fabulous when a “DEEEEEEEELICOUS” review comes back. 😉
Thanks for sharing with all of us!
Shirley
Debra says
I just discovered this site… and this recipe! I made it today as a trial for my glutenous son’s birthday. His brother and I are both GF/CF and I didn’t want to have to make two separate desserts. This pound cake is amazing! I only had EVOO (not light) and I could taste the olive oil, but neither of my sons could. I used the King Arthur Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. We (well, mostly I) ate one whole loaf today and I used the other pound cake to make a baked alaska using coconut milk ice cream, with a layer of chocolate shell (coconut oil and chocolate chips), and strawberry preserve filling. YUM! My glutenous son said it was the best birthday cake he’s ever had! And it was gluten and dairy free! Thanks so much! Next time, I’ll use light olive oil, but my sons both said I shouldn’t ever change a thing!
Shirley says
Hi Debra–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 Your comment totally made my day–thank you so much for the fabulous feedback! I absolutely love that you used one loaf for an amazing Baked Alaska! (Thanks for telling us how you did that, too. I bet other readers will be jumping on making that!) One of my main missions is to show folks that everyone in the family—gluten free or not—can eat the same gluten-free (and more-free) recipes and be totally happy. Your sons’ comments proved that this really can happen. 😉
Thanks again, Debra. I hope you find many more gfe recipes that you and your family love!
Shirley
DakotaW says
I must say- this Pound Cake was absolutely, surprisingly amazing! I never have to create any foods gluten-free but I just hosted a bridal shower where the bride was alergic to gluten and is lactose intolerant and this was perfect and was absolutely amazing.
I just wanted to say thank you for the recipe and saving my butt for the bridal shower. 🙂
Shirley says
Hi DakotaW–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 And what a wonderful review–thanks so much! I’m tickled pink that you were able to make my pound cake for your friend’s bridal shower. It is truly a gift when friends take the time to make delicious and safe food for those of us who eat gluten free (and more free). Seriously, I’m sure your friend appreciated your kindness more than she could ever express.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your review!
Shirley
Angela Sommers says
Ok, so, are you ready for this? This absolutely delicious and perfect creation is now known at our house as “Shirley cake.” Yes, that’s right. Finally we are progressing from, “that awesome cake from that internet lady” to simply “Shirley cake.”
Just thought I let you know that we are still having a love affair with Shirley cake, and make it quite frequently!
As a matter of fact, I am currently working on the re-creation of a childhood favorite that uses poundcake as a base…..will report back when I have some results and pictures to prove it!
You keep on being awesome! Thanks!
Shirley says
Oh, Angela, what did I ever do before I had you as a gfe reader and fan? I really don’t know! “Shirley cake,” huh? Maybe I should just market
“Shirley cake” and give up everything else? 😉 Can’t wait to see what you are planning next!
Thank youuuuuuu!!! xo,
Shirley
Catherina says
Hello. I made this cake today (I used canola oil as I didn’t have olive oil) and it turned out really well. There was no taste of coconut or orange, just like you mentioned. It just tasted “good”. I’m glad I found your dairy-free pound cake. Thanks!
Shirley says
Welcome to gfe, Catherina! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this pound cake and it’s good to know that canola oil will work for those who use that ingredient. Light olive oil is definitely better though, so you might want to give that a try when you have some on hand. Anyway, yay, for your gluten-free, dairy-free pound cake success! 🙂
Shirley
Katharine Vincent says
Now this is what pound cake is supposed to taste like! We had this for the first time yesterday and are making it again today! Yesterday we added a layer of cinnamon and chopped walnuts in the middle and today’s we are leaving plain to have with baked custard and fruit salad at brunch tomorrow. Sooo good!
Shirley says
Hi Katharine–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I’m thrilled that you like my pound cake so much that you have already made it twice! Your variation with cinnamon and nuts sounds good (sounds a bit like my Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake, which I made from this recipe). And having it with custard and fruit salad for a brunch sounds lovely, too. 🙂
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Shirley
Rhonna keech says
Can you make this with butter? I’m making it for a gluten-free friend for Christmas and want to make it a little richer tasting. Thanks!
Shirley says
Hi Rhonna–Welcome! 🙂 Have you made this recipe as written yet? This pound cake made with the light olive oil is really nicely rich “as is.” I *think* one person made this recipe with butter and subbed “one for one.” The makers of olive oil don’t recommend a one-to-one substitution going the other way (oil for butter). You can see their substitution chart here. So all that said I really am not sure about the butter substitution. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Shirley
Rhonna keech says
I have made this cake with Olive oil and its quite good! I was just wondering, since its for Christmas I thought I might take it up a notch. thanks so much for answering so quickly
Shirley says
That’s great to know, Rhonda! Best of luck on your experimenting with a butter version. 🙂 Please let us know later how it all went!
Thanks,
Shirley
Kristen Gilliam says
I just tried this “Perfect” Pound Cake recipe and lets just say it doesn’t get more perfect than this amazing cake!!!! With the simplicity of the recipe and how different it was from my traditional wheat based recipe I had doubts, although your pictures were very enticing. I can’t believe how much it tastes exactly like regular pound cake, in fact it’s a better version of what I remember pound cake to be!
I actually experimented and used egg nog for the dairy in the recipe and added more nutmeg hoping it would take on a mild egg nog flavour. It turned out great the flavor is very mild but still can be picked up on without being too much.
Thank-you SOOOOOOOOO much for sharing!
Admirations from Ontario, Canada:)
Shirley says
Hi Kristen–Welcome to gfe! Oh, how wonderful it is to read your review of my pound cake. 🙂 I love the idea of using egg nog in this recipe. I’m imagining the wonderful flavor that’s just right and not too strong. 😉 You might want to check out my fudge recipe in which egg nog can be used instead of milk.
All the best … happy holidays!
Shirley
Donna Strickler says
Hi Shirley – I cannot wait to try this GF version. Pound cake is one of my favorites, and so versatile with the flavors you can add! My grandmother, who passed away several years ago, made the best pound cake ever, and now my mom makes them, but of course I can’t eat them. I am so excited to try this as a plain pound cake, then a lemon version and a coconut version! Thanks again for all of your hard work for those of us GF foodies!
Shirley says
Hi Donna–I hope you love it and I’ll be waiting to hear your results, especially with other versions! FYI: Alta at Tasty Eats At Home made made a lemon version of my pound cake and talked about how she did that successfully after chatting with me about it. Thanks for the sweet words, Donna. I especially appreciate them today. 🙂
Hugs,
Shirley
manja says
xanthan gum
Evaluation of workers exposed to xanthan gum dust found evidence of a link to respiratory symptoms.[8]
On May 20, 2011 the FDA issued a press release about SimplyThick, a food-thickening additive containing xanthan gum as the active ingredient, warning “parents, caregivers and health care providers not to feed SimplyThick, a thickening product, to premature infants.”[9] The concern is that the product may cause necrotizing enterocolitis (i.e., NEC). As of July 10, 2012 the FDA has not established the causal link between SimplyThick and NEC.
[edit]Allergies
Xanthan gum may be derived from a variety of source products that are themselves common allergens, such as corn, wheat, dairy, or soy. As such, persons with known sensitivities or allergies to food products are advised to avoid foods including generic xanthan gum or first determine the source for the xanthan gum before consuming the food.
Specifically, an allergic response may be triggered in people sensitive to the growth medium, usually corn, soy, or wheat.[4][10] For example, residual wheat gluten has been detected on xanthan gum made using wheat.[10] This may trigger a response in people highly sensitive to gluten. Some consider this to be a separate allergy to xanthan gum with similar symptoms to gluten allergy. Xanthan gum is a “highly efficient laxative,” according to a study that fed 15g/day for 10 days to 18 normal volunteers.[11] Some people react to much smaller amounts of xanthan gum with symptoms of intestinal bloating and diarrhea.[4] There are many substitutes for xanthan gum when used for baking such as guar gum and locust bean gum.
Shirley says
Manja–Thanks for the info on xanthan gum. Folks will have to read, do their own research, and make their own choices on whether or not they wish to use it. As far as the laxative effect, personally, I’ve found that to be much more of a problem with guar gum.
Shirley
Stephanie says
Just curious…why was I asked to remove the recipe from Pinterest? I did so, as soon as I saw your request. I just don’t understand since you even have a *Pin it* button. And isn’t it a good thing that draws more folks to your site? (Sorry, and no one had re-pinned it by the time I removed it.)
Shirley says
Hi Stephanie–I am thrilled when folks Pin my images on Pinterest because that action does draw traffic to my site. I asked that you remove my recipe that had been cut and pasted into the Pin description. That’s a totally different thing. Both my recipes and images are copyrighted, but with Pinterest, yes, the images get used. But recipes should never be reprinted anywhere without permission of the owner. And if the recipes are on Pinterest in full, there’s no reason for anyone to visit my site at all. 🙁 Pinterest reduced the number of characters in its description field to stop users from cutting and pasting recipes because it is illegal. Despite the character limit, ingredients and instructions are now getting abbreviated and still shared in the descriptions. Legally, you can only print recipes on Pinterest if they are your own recipes. (Read more here.) I hope that makes sense to you. Again, I thank you for pinning my image, but please refrain from sharing my actual recipes on Pinterest.
All the best,
Shirley
Stephanie says
Oooohhh. So sorry. The reason I put the abbreviated recipe (didn’t copy and paste) is because some sites for recipes have disappeared on me and then I have no recipe. I didn’t know it was a problem. I see your point. I guess I still visit the site when I want to make the recipe, so it didn’t occur to me. 🙁
Shirley says
Hi again, Stephanie–Thank you for being so honest, and for being so understanding now that you see how saving a recipe in that manner is a problem. I get where you are coming from. You’re right that occasionally blogs disappear. There are a couple of options like joining Ziplist so you can save recipes (although I only recently joined ZipList so many of my recipes—including this one—are not yet in the program), printing out recipes so you’ll have them later (admittedly “old school”), cutting and pasting recipes into a file on your computer, and I’m sure many more. I hope you figure out one that works for you. I really do appreciate your support!
Shirley
Susan says
Hi Shirley,
I tried this recipe with the following changes: coconut oil instead of light olive oil, lemon extract instead of vanilla, and lemon juice instead of orange juice. It made a nice “lemon loaf” and I will definitely make it again. Thanks for a great and easy recipe!
Shirley says
Hi Susan–Thanks so much for the sweet feedback! Lemon Loaf sounds perfect for spring. 🙂 I definitely prefer this recipe with the olive oil, but coconut oil provides a lighter tasting dessert. I love that you could make your changes so easily! 😉
Happy Sunday, dear!
Shirley
Brenda says
I have come back at looked at this recipe over and over. It looks delicious and “normal”. I am new to all of this gluten free as I was just diagnosed late March 2013 as having celiac disease. I think I have been like a deer in the headlights……I haven’t really tried to get back in the kitchen and try my hand at making good gluten free recipes. I attempted a batch of cookies that went directly in the garbage. I am committing myself to making this recipe this week. Wish me luck!
Brenda Kraus says
Shirley,
I made this today and it is everything you said it would be. Thank you for the recipe and my first success at gluten free baking! Yay!!
Brenda
Shirley says
Hi Brenda–First, welcome to gfe! 🙂 Second, I’m sorry I didn’t reply to your first comment on this post. Last, I’m thrilled that you this pound cake is your first success at gluten-free baking–congrats to you!! For someone who was just diagnosed in March, to be baking successfully already in May is just terrific! I see much more success in your future. 😉 Thank you so very much for taking the time to comment.
Shirley
mydecembr says
I was dying for chocolate pound cake so I adapted your wonderful recipe by replacing 1/4 cup of the flour with Dutch-process cocoa powder and the juice with more milk. It came out perfectly!
Shirley says
Hi mydecembr!–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 And thank you so very much for sharing your chocolate version of my pound cake! I love that! Will have to share on my Facebook page and add to notes. Oh, and of course, try myself very soon (once the current heat wave passes). 😉 Thank you, thank you!
Shirley
Sandy says
I try various GF recipes with sometimes minimal success but I have never made your Perfect Poundcake that is wasn’t a howling success. I have also made a chocolate version and can’t keep my granddaughter out of it. Thank you so much.
Shirley says
Hi Sandy–It looks like this is your first time commenting on gfe–welcome! 🙂 And what a terrific review of my recipe–thank you so much! I understand the issue with your granddaughter … the original of this cake is pretty addictive, so I can only imagine the chocolate version. Could you please tell us how you make your chocolate version?
Thanks,
Shirley
Meg says
Oh man oh man. Just made this and my non gf parents and I just ate a whole loaf. It was fantastic! I hadn’t had pound cake before and I am glad I skipped the bad versions and got right to this! I am looking forward to look through your other recipes. Thanks!
Meg
Shirley says
Hi Meg–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this fabulous review! I so appreciate your words and I know others will appreciate another positive review as well. Hope you will find many more recipes here on gfe that will please you and your non-gf family members! 😉
Shirley
regee says
Hi! This recipe is in my oven right now:) I’m excited! I couldn’t see the need for 2 pans. IDK, the amount of batter didn’t seem to warrant 2. Maybe because I’m used to Bunt pan size….. Anyhoo I used a mini pan & a 9×5.
I’ve wanted to try a recipe without butter but couldn’t find one & I’m not good at experimenting.
Thank you for sharing!
Shirley says
Hi regee–Welcome! Hope you had great results, even with downsizing one pan! My pound cake batter easily fills the two regular-sized loaf pans after baking, so I hope you still had great results. 🙂 Please let us know if you get a moment.
Thanks
Shirley
regee says
Hello again,
I wanted to let you know this recipe turned out GREAT!! I took it with me on my 6wk. vacation & I even had a piece for the plane trip home!! I wrapped it and kept it refrigerated. I toasted each slice usually, but also heated in microwave a couple times.
I’ll definitely be making this again!!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Shirley says
Hi again, regee!–That is such wonderful news! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your review with us all! 🙂 I am amazed you made your pound cake last that long; that’s really terrific. I love hearing that you enjoyed it on your plane ride home! 😉
Shirley
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
Just sent this recipe to my grandmother who is in need of a good gf pound cake recipe. I told her that you made the best! Thank you for the incredible recipe Shirley! xoxo
Shirley says
Sarena–Knowing that your gave your grandmother my pound cake recipe touches my heart so! Thank you for doing that and for letting me know, and all your kind words, dear! Fingers crossed that she will love it! 🙂
xoxo,
Shirley
Brandy says
Hi,
I was wondering if there has been any success with using egg replacer. We are under huge restrictions due to food allergies. Think vegan (not by choice) and gluten free. I didn’t notice anything in the comments about replacing the eggs. Thanks!
Shirley says
Hi Brandy–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 Unfortunately, none of my readers have reported back that they’ve used egg substitutes in this recipe. I’ve read that commercial egg replacer usually works best when no more than two eggs are replaced. You could go ahead and give the recipe a try with that or halve the recipe to make only one loaf with better chances perhaps. Please report back on your results if you give it a try. Fingers crossed!
Shirley
peggy says
I am trying to starting to cook gluten free. You refer to pour and I do not get a pouring solution from this mix. Should it be where you can pour or like a dough mix?
Confused in Coeur d Alene, Id
Shirley says
Hi Peggy–Welcome to gluten-free living and welcome to gfe, too! 🙂 The recipe creates a pound cake batter (like any other pound cake–or cake, in general–batter) so I refer to pouring the batter into the pans. You still will need a spatula to help with getting all of the batter out of the bowl though. Hope that helps! Enjoy!
Shirley
Tamla says
this recipe sounds yummy. However I eat egg free also. What would you sub for the three eggs?
Shirley says
Hi Tamla–Welcome! 🙂 Unfortunately, none of my readers have reported back that they’ve used egg substitutes in this recipe. I’ve read that commercial egg replacer usually works best when no more than two eggs are replaced. You could go ahead and give the recipe a try with that or halve the recipe to make only one loaf with better chances due to less of the commercial substitute perhaps. Eggs are usually key to pound cakes. I did find this substitution for eggs on a pound cake recipe on Living Without’s site: “For Egg-Free Pound Cake, omit 2 eggs. (1) Add 2 tablespoons arrowroot + ½ teaspoon additional baking powder to flour mixture. Mix well. (2) Heat milk just until warm and add 2 tablespoons flax meal; let sit 5 minutes to thicken. Add to butter and sugar. (3) Proceed with recipe instructions. If batter seems too thin, add 1-2 tablespoons additional flour blend.” Please report back on your results if you give either of these methods a try. Fingers crossed for you!
Shirley
Sandra says
I tried your pound cake recipe today, though I made some substitutions based on what ingredients I had already at the house. (almond milk, canola oil) The batter was yummy, but when it baked up, the texture is a little off (kinda gummy), and it looks like it didn’t rise completely. What causes the gumminess? I would normally have suspected rice, but so many people seem to bake successfully with rice flour. Help! 🙂
Shirley says
Hi Sandra–Substitutions can really impact a recipe, sometimes adversely. I recommend the light olive oil; the results are superior to using other vegetable oils. But others have reporting using canola oil successfully. What specifically did you use for rice flour or your gf flour mix? white rice flour? sweet rice flour? anything else? Did you add xanthan gum?
Shirley
Sandra says
Thanks, Shirley. I used sweet rice flour (superfine). Is that the same as Asian? Using that, I did your ratio of rice flour to cornstarch (3 parts/2 parts) and then measured out the amount needed for the recipe. I did use xanthan gum. Forgot to mention: I did not have orange juice, so I left that out.
Shirley says
Sandra–That was your issue! While sweet rice flour IS an Asian rice flour, it is not the same as white rice flour. Sweet rice flour is also called glutinous or sticky rice flour, not because it contains gluten, but because it is so sticky (like gluten) and GUMMY. Very gummy. Usually you only need a small amount of sweet rice flour when you use it. There are a few exceptions. Folks use it by itself to make gravy for example. But otherwise in flour mixes, only a small portion would be of sweet rice flour if it is included in the mix. The mix you’ve made will NOT work, except for something like gravy perhaps. You need to buy Asian white rice flour. 🙂 Leaving out OJ doesn’t really matter much.
Shirley
Sandra says
Thank you, Shirley. I’m actually relieved. 🙂 I just have a small amount of that mix left, so I’ll save it for gravy. Thank you! I do have some “white rice flour” here. I think this is what I have. http://www.arrowheadmills.com/product/organic-white-rice-flour Would that work in your mix? Also, do you have a favorite place that you purchase your Asian rice flour? I’m really needing to keep costs down.
Shirley says
Sandra–That white rice flour should work okay. I prefer the Asian rice flour because it’s very finely ground and I’ve never had an issue with it. (Some folks have reported issues with Arrowhead Mills products.) Plus, it’s very inexpensive. Google Asian grocery stores for your city. I bet you’ll find at least one market nearby. Usually a 1-lb bag of their rice flour is a little over a dollar. So my flour mix, made of their white rice flour and cornstarch is very economical. 🙂
Shirley
Sandra says
I’ll definitely have to look into an Asian grocery store. Thanks for everything!
Shirley says
You’re welcome, Sandra! Hope you find a great one nearby. 🙂
Shirley
Laura says
I just made these and subbed Egg Nog for the milk, it was DELICIOUS!
Thanks for the recipe!
Korina says
Hello!
I have been searching for a great gf cupcake recipe with little success. Has anyone tried this batter in cupcake liners?
Shirley says
Hi Korina–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 Folks have reported to me that they’ve used this recipe for cupcakes and they loved them! Because it’s a pound cake recipe, the cupcakes will have that density and not be as light as regular cupcakes, but they are totally delicious. I also have a Coconut Blueberry Pound Cupcakes recipe.
Enjoy!
Shirley
Tasha says
This looks so good… I have a question tho, what can I use in place of the AP gluten free flour if I don’t have it on hand? I have many other GF flours in here other than that..
Shirley says
Hi Tasha–Welcome to gfe and thanks! 🙂 What flours do you have on hand? All gluten-free all-purpose flour mixes are made from a mix of gluten-free flours and starches. I use a mix of finely ground white rice flour (I get mine at the Asian market) and cornstarch to make my gluten-free all-purpose flour mix. But there are lots of other great gluten-free all-purpose flour mix recipes on other gluten-free blogs as well. If you don’t have finely ground white rice flour and cornstarch to make my mix (note that the directions to make my mix are in the recipe), perhaps I can point you in another direction. 😉
Shirley
Tasha says
Okay.. On hand I have sweet rice flour, millet, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, coconut flour, arrowroot flour and almond flour as well.. Thanks in advance 🙂
Shirley says
Hi Tasha–I really recommend a flour mix that includes white rice flour because it’s a much lighter flour (more reminiscent of wheat based ap flour), but you can try using No Gluten, No Problem’s Gluten-Free Flour Mix by making the necessary substitutions (noted at the bottom) per your ingredients. By the way, there are a number of other great gluten-free flour mix recipes online that use more of the ingredients that you have (but still require one or more additional ingredients) and that you might want to consider for the future. One example is Jeanne’s (Art of Gluten-Free Baking) all-purpose blend. If you purchase some finely ground white rice flour though, you can simply use that with cornstarch for most of my recipes (the mixture recipe is noted in them). Please let us know what you try and how it works out. Fingers crossed! 🙂
Shirley
Rebecca says
Is it possible to replace the gum with powdered pectin? Would it be 1:1?
Also do you have any ideas on egg replacers? Applesauce? Thanks! I’m excited to try this recipe!
-Rebecca
Shirley says
Hi Rebecca–I think I went off to investigate pectin after you commented and never found my way back. 🙁 I’ve never worked with pectin in place of xanthan gum. And, I’m sorry, but I don’t recommend making this cake without eggs. Pound cakes depend upon eggs. Others who live egg free (and gluten free) have made their own versions of pound cakes, so it’s probably best to try out those recipes. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful as it is a great recipe.
Shirley
Brisie says
No success here – whole cake and was uncooked even after 90 mins in the oven.
Shirley says
Brisie–I’m sorry to hear that. Did you change any of the ingredients? What gf flour did you use?
Shirley
Melissa says
I know this is an older post and maybe I’ve already commented, but this really does look amazing. I just saw it again via Kim on Facebook and I started craving strawberry shortcake made with this pound cake, fresh berries, and whipped coconut cream. I also want the Athleta yoga top featured on your side bar. Oh my gosh, it is so cute. Strawberry shortcake and then yoga! Maybe the other way around. =) Perfect.
Melissa
Shirley says
Hi Melissa–Awww, thanks for popping in and leaving this lovely comment, dear! It was actually National Strawberry Day last week, which seems crazy in the middle of winter, but anything that makes us think of sweet and juicy strawberries, Strawberry Shortcake, pound cake, and warmer weather is not a bad thing at all. 😉 I can see and taste strawberry shortcake right now thanks to your description. And whipped coconut cream … now that’s my favorite topping. 🙂 And that’s so nice of Kim to share! I don’t always get notifications when folks do that on FB, so I’ll have to thank her.
I haven’t seen the Athleta yoga top ad pop up, so I’ll have to go find it. Perhaps if I visit some of my favorite yoga sites, it will pop up. 😉
Happy Sunday, Melissa!
Shirley
Richard says
Hi Shirley… would you by any chance have the weight measure for your 2 1/4 cups flour mix?
Thanks.
Shirley says
Hi Richard–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I don’t usually deal with weights to be honest, but it’s such a simple mix that I decided to see if I could look up the info online. What I read is that both finely ground white rice flour and cornstarch weigh 135 grams per cup. Cornstarch is actually 135.26 per what I read, but the cornstarch is the lesser of the two in this mix so if we go with 135 grams per cup times 2.25, we get 303.75 grams. Hope that’s helpful! If you give the recipe a go with that amount, please let us know how it works out!
Thanks,
Shirley
Rhonna says
Can you use the same amount of coconut flour in this recipe?
Shirley says
Hi Rhonnna–It’s good to see you again. 🙂 Sorry, but coconut flour will not work as a substitute for the gf ap flour mix in this recipe. Coconut flour is quite a bit different than gf ap flour and requires more liquid and/or different or other binding ingredients. I’d look for a pound cake recipe that already uses coconut flour as it would be created with those special factors in mind.
Shirley
Rhonna says
Decided to skip the coconut flour…but thanks for responding so quickly. I’ll have to find some recipes with coconut flour though, because I bought quite a bit at Costco!
Brie says
I would like to use your recipe for to make a gluten free almond pound cake (and add buttercream frosting) for my friend’s wedding cake. Do you have any suggestions on how to modify your recipe? Would almond paste be the best flavouring? Do you have any good buttercream recipes as well? Thank you!
Shirley says
Hi Brie–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I’ve actually never used almond paste, so I can’t offer any ideas on that. What I’d recommend is subbing almond extract for the vanilla extract, one for one, so 2 tsp almond extract, and perhaps omitting the orange juice. If that is not a strong enough almond flavor, I’d suggest upping the almond extract to a tablespoon and definitely omitting the orange juice completely. I don’t make buttercream frosting very often and have one recipe that I love, but it’s not mine and I can’t find the link to it right now. If I do, I’ll come back and share it. Otherwise, I’d just Google “best buttercream frosting” and check out recipes on blogs, paying special attention to reader reviews in comments before you try them. Best of luck on all! It’s really so fantastic that you are making your friend’s wedding cake! I’m sure she is beyond grateful. 😉
Shirley
Michele says
Made this tonight for strawberry shortcake. Absolutely delicious! I substituted the orange juice for pineapple juice just because it’s what I had. Fantastic! Definitely a repeat!!
Shirley says
Hi Michele–First, it looks like you’re new here at gfe—welcome! 🙂 And, second, what a fabulous comment to wake up to! I’m so glad this pound cake was the perfect base for your strawberry shortcake and that pineapple juice worked just fine! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and let us all know about your Perfect Pound Cake experience. 😉
Happy Sunday!
Shirley
Ronalyn Hurley says
Shirley, your recipe for pound cake is the best! I probably gained 2 pounds today because I couldn’t stop eating it. The end pieces were so darned delicious I ate two of them by themselves plus an inside slice with strawberries and whipped cream.
FYI; for the flour, I mixed the GF all-purpose flour mixes I had left over from each of three other GF bloggers recipes. It worked out great.
Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Shirley says
Hi Ronalyn–Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this delightful comment! 🙂 Like you, I am crazy about those end pieces. LOL How wonderful that your “mega” mix of all-purpose flour mixes worked just fine, too! Last, a belated welcome to gfe. Happy to have you here!
Shirley
Melissa says
This is my favorite pound cake ever – I’m GF and my daughter is dairy and soy free (among other food allergies). Everyone likes this cake, even if they are not on a restricted diet. I find I have to bake mine longer than the recipe directs but ovens do vary. I use the “toothpick test” and it comes out nicely every time.
Shirley says
Hi Melissa–Welcome to gfe and thank you so much for leaving this lovely comment! I so appreciate feedback like yours. 🙂 I’ve found that everyone loves this cake, too, whether they have food restrictions on not. That is the goal of all my recipes really. 😉
Shirley
Clare Loops says
Thank you for sharing your pound cake recipe. I used it as a base recipe to create a sugar free version as I am diabetic. I also used polenta for half the flour, and poured a syrup made from lemons and stevia on the loaves whilst still warm, giving an Italian feel to the cake. Following the amounts in your recipe exactly gave me an excellent result!
Shirley says
Hi Clare–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I love that your were able to make a variation that works for you. It certainly sounds delicious! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and share with us all.
Shirley
Aliesha says
I have just been placed on the FODMAP diet for irritable bowel when pintrest lead me to this recipe. I was about to give up on baking for myself when this baby popped out of the oven. Talk about heaven! Using my own basic flour blend of equal parts rice/corn/millet flours, its just fantastic! Going to be using it as my base for all muffins and cakes from now on. Thank you so much from sharing!
Shirley says
Hi Aliesha–Welcome to gfe! Your comment just totally made my day! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your review so everyone can read it and I’m absolutely thrilled, of course, that this recipe will be such a lifesaver for you! Bake away and enjoy special treats once again! 🙂
Shirley
MaryLynn says
Made your recipe today and oh my gosh, I AM IN HEAVEN! First REAL pound cake tasting pound cake I’ve had in 10+ years, literally! Made it a lemon cake, using 3 t. fresh lemon juice, 3 t. zest & 1 t. dried lemon peel for extra zing. Used coconut oil for the first time too. Terrific! Have some late season peaches all ready to serve with it tonight. Thanks for your inspiration!
Shirley says
First, welcome to gfe, MaryLynn. Second, yippeeee on all your success making my pound cake work for you! 🙂 How much xylitol did you use? I want to share your comment on my gfe Facebook page and I’m sure that question will be asked. 😉 Thanks so much for taking the time to share your wonderful review and the details on your substitutions!
Shirley
MaryLynn says
Oh yeah, I used zylitol instead of sugar, King Arthur Flours gf blend and lactose free whole milk. So its a gluten free, sugar free, butter free, lactose free lemon pound cake! And it’s just full of flavor…
Debra says
I know I’m about a year after you commented, but wondering what measure of xylitol you used? Was it 1:1 and was it pure xylitol or a blend ? Needing a lower carb option. Tried it with Stevia in the Raw but it was a fail. Tasted good, but didn’t rise. Thanks!
vegetarianmamma (Cindy) says
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays Party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂 I can’t wait to see what you share next time!
-Cindy
Shirley says
Thanks, Cindy! I always appreciate your sharing! Boy, do these weeks go quickly. 😉
Shirley
ErinC says
Are you kidding me?!!! I can’t even BELIEVE how good this is! I really just am in total shock at how easy & simple & inexpensive & GOOD this cake is. My 7yo said, Mom, you should make MORE gluten-free stuff!” Well, I think I will 🙂 THANK you!
Shirley says
Hi Erin–Welcome to gfe. 🙂 Your wonderful comment made my day when I read it! I keep telling folks about this cake in the hopes that they will come to the same delightful and delicious conclusions that you did. 😉 So, so glad my pound cake was a hit with you and your family!
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment!
Shirley
Pascale says
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! It really does not look or taste glutenfree! All the best!
Shirley says
Hi Pascale–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I so appreciate you taking the time to leave this wonderful review! I am thrilled that you agree that my pound cake recipe meets the “gluten-full” taste and look standards. 😉
Have a wonderful week! Thanks again,
Shirley
[email protected] says
quite the line up reviews on this one Shirley!! Featuring your recipe this week on Allergy Free Wednesday!
Shirley says
Hi Tessa–Thanks so much for the kind words as well as the feature, dear! This pound cake is definitely a much loved recipe so I thought it was time to share it with the Allergy-Free Wednesday readers. 😉
Shirley
Karen Larimore says
I am so happy to have found your blog — and this pound cake recipe — through Allergy Free Wednesdays! I also grew up eating lots of homemade pound cake that my mom would make. I remember dunking slices in a cold glass of milk… Mmm! She made the best plain, lemon and chocolate pound cakes. When she passed away, I inherited her recipe box and found that she labeled her chocolate pound cake “Karen’s Chocolate Pound Cake.” She knew it was my favorite. I’m going to start following your blog and hope to find a recipe for gluten free chocolate pound cake some day!
Shirley says
Hi Karen–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 So happy that you found my site through Tessa’s AFW post! I so agree on the “mmmm” on pound cake.
I’m sorry that your mom is no longer with you, but how wonderful that you inherited her recipe box with her very own chocolate pound cake recipe. Very special indeed! I bet it would be pretty easy to convert your mom’s recipe to gluten free. If you want to email it to me, I’d be happy to give it a go and share it with you and here on gfe when I’m successful. 😉 Just email me at [email protected] if that sounds good to you!
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and for following gfe!
Hugs,
Shirley
swathi says
Thanks for sharing a gluten free pound cake for Hearth and soul blog hop, Shirley, Pinning and tweeting.
Shirley says
Thanks, Swathi! I appreciate it! Thanks to you and April for hosting each week. 🙂
Shirley
Raia says
I haven’t had a pound cake since going gluten-free. This sounds sooo good. Thanks for sharing it at Savoring Saturdays!
Shirley says
Thanks, Raia. It’s a real treat! 🙂
Shirley
Michelle says
I made this pound cake this weekend!
The taste of the bread was fantastic!
However, I tried to substitute the egg to egg replacement and I don’t think it worked as nicely!
Could you please help me to adjust this recipe so it can be vegan as well?
Thank you!
Shirley says
Hi Michelle–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 While I have quite a few egg-free, vegan recipes and others where the usual egg subs work here on gfe, this recipe has not been one of them to date. Long ago, I had shared the following idea from Living Without magazine (which is now known as Gluten Free and More): “For Egg-Free Pound Cake, omit 2 eggs. (1) Add 2 tablespoons arrowroot + ½ teaspoon additional baking powder to flour mixture. Mix well. (2) Heat milk just until warm and add 2 tablespoons flax meal; let sit 5 minutes to thicken. Add to butter and sugar. (3) Proceed with recipe instructions. If batter seems too thin, add 1-2 tablespoons additional flour blend.” My recipe calls for 3 eggs, so you’ve have to adjust the arrowroot, baking powder, and flax meal amounts accordingly if you want to give this method a try, plus it uses oil vs butter, of course. Please let us know your results if you try this method. Good luck!
Shirley
Rachel says
This recipe looks amazing. Best GF pound cake I have found in my search….Perhaps you could help me with this….I can’t eat dairy or eggs. I have tried several different egg substitutes, flax eggs, chia eggs….but have been disappointed in the result. Have you a tried and true method for substituting eggs when baking? Thank you!
Shirley says
Hi Rachel–Welcome to gfe and thanks for the kind words! 🙂 Egg substitutes are an interesting thing. Different methods work better for different types of recipes. As one is learning this info, it’s usually best to use the recipes of folks who already have made successful egg-free recipes. As you’re both dairy free and egg free, I really recommend following some gluten-free vegetarian or gluten-free vegan bloggers (e.g., In Johnna’s Kitchen, Free Range Cookies, Ricki Heller, Unconventional Baker, and She Let Them Eat Cake) as they have many baking recipes that will fit your needs. I have some egg-free and vegan recipes, but not a huge percentage.
As far as this particular recipe, it’s already dairy free, of course. But as far as an egg substitution, eggs are really key to pound cakes, and substituting for more than two eggs and having good results can prove difficult. Folks who do have success subbing for more than two have told me that they usually use two egg subs at once in this case. So they might use two flax gel eggs and one chia gel egg. All that said, I’m sorry, but I’ve not made this recipe with any egg substitutes. If you give it a try, please let us know.
Shirley
Wanda says
This is hands down the BEST pound cake I’ve had in forever, and it’s gluten free…YAY…hadn’t been able to find a good recipe for gluten free pound cake, but for some reason it just sounded right, and IT WAS. Thanks for all your research into compiling this wonderful recipe. It is Christmas Eve and I made it for our family dinner tomorrow, along with some traditional ambrosia (not the kind with sour cream or whipped topping), the kind where the juices make it divine, and it will be so good drizzled over that pound cake tomorrow. And I dare anyone to know it’s gluten free…that’s how good it is. Merry Christmas and have a blessed day.
Shirley says
Hi Wanda–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I so appreciate you leaving this comment with your fabulous review. We do really, really love this recipe at our house and I’m so glad you feel the same way! I hope that your family flips for it, too, especially with your special ambrosia. 😉
Merry Christmas and a Happy 2016, Wanda!
Shirley
Larry says
I love this recipe (even shared with my non-GF friends) but am asking for help in making this a lemon pound cake. I can not seem to get it right.
Shirley says
Hi Larry–Welcome to gfe! While I have not made a lemon version of this pound cake, my blogger friend Alta of Tasty Eats At Home has. You can read her modifications to my recipe and see her photo here. Enjoy!
Shirley
Angela says
Hello again – I just couldn’t help myself and write another blog about “Shirley cake.” Of course I included a link to your recipe, so lots more people can take advantage of it.
https://angelasommers.wordpress.com/2016/02/06/the-birthday-cake/
I had a lot of fun and will get back to more blogging – goodness how much I missed those fun times…..
Carla says
I admittedly didn’t read through all the comments, but I have found that oiling the pan and then sprinkling sugar instead of GF flour creates a crispy crust every time. In fact, it is the preference in my family. Also I have tried these as crispy cookies too. Yummy.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Carla–Looks like you’re new here at gfe–welcome! 🙂 I have used that method with
other recipes
and it does work great. Admittedly, I kind of like the crispy outside of this loaf without having to add sugar—and this pound cake gives you that on its own—but it’s definitely a great tip! As far as the crispy cookies, I’m not sure I’m following you there. Do you mean you’ve made this pound cake recipe as cookies? Please explain more.
Thanks!
Shirley
Dee Rush says
On your two ingredient GF flour, can another starch be used? Can’t eat corn! Thanks all your recipes are amazing!! Thanks for sharing!!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Dee–It looks like you’re new to gfe—welcome! 🙂 Thanks for the generous feedback on my recipes! I really appreciate it!! While in some cases, one could sub in tapioca starch or arrowroot, for example, I don’t think they would work in all recipes. Some other corn-free ideas that readers have offered in comments on my flour mix post—but ones that I have not personally tried—are using a one to one mix of finely ground white rice flour and potato starch and a mix of three parts finely ground rice flour, one part tapioca flour/starch, and one part sweet rice flour. If you give any of these variations a try, please let us know your results!
Thanks again,
Shirley
Jannah says
Hi. Will this recipe work with guar gum? I don’t have xantham gum.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Jannah–Welcome to gfe! Personally, I’ve never used guar gum but my friend gluten-free guru Carol Fenster says you can substitute guar gum for xanthan gum any time and do so by using the same amount of guar gum in place of xanthan gum. Hope you enjoy this pound cake!
Happy Holidays!
Shirley
Jannah says
yay, thanks! will make a small test batch today and see if it works then I’ll make it for Christmas eve dinner with the family. Thanks for all that you do. Happy Holidays!
Rachel Kolodziej says
My mom is gluten and dairy free so finding things she can eat can be a challenge (although it’s getting easier!). I always struggled with what to make for her birthday. I came across this recipe and had to try it. She LOVES It! I make it every couple of months for her now. I am not gluten and dairy free and even I love this cake. The texture is amazing and the flavor is perfect.
I did make a couple of changes. I always use extra virgin olive oil because its what we have on hand. We love the flavor. I also use lemon and add some zest in place of the orange and I add a tablespoon or so of poppy seeds. Delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Rachel!–Welcome to gfe!! 🙂 I am absolutely thrilled to hear that you’re making a variation of my Perfect Pound Cake for your mom and she and you all love it so! Please tell me more about your lemon poppy seed version. How much lemon juice and lemon zest do you use? I’d love to try the lemon poppy version!
I’m sure your mom will eventually live gf/df without even thinking about it. Son is gf/df and in most baking recipes that require butter I simply substitute in Earth Balance (we prefer the soy-free version, either in sticks or tubs). For milk, canned full-fat coconut milk is our “go to” dairy-free substitute. You’d think it would give a strong coconut flavor but it really doesn’t when you have other ingredients. Plus, I also think you taste the coconut flavor less over time. My coconut-hating BIL doesn’t taste it in recipes I make (unless there’s also shredded coconut present).
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment with your fabulous feedback! I hope eating gf/df gets easier and easier for your mom!
Shirley
Rachel Kolodziej says
I use the same amount of lemon juice as the recipe says for orange. So 2 tablespoons lemon juice which I find is usually one lemon. I zest one or two lemons depending on their size. You can’t really put too much! I use 2% Lactaid instead of regular milk. It tastes the same as regular milk and acts the same in recipes. And since we use it all the time I don’t have to buy anything special when I bake. Works like a charm!
Shirley Braden says
Thanks so much for the additional info, Rachel! I’ll definitely be trying the lemon poppy seed version soon!
Have a great weekend!
Shirley
Rachel says
I made this recipe this week. I made them as cupcakes, 22 minute bake time is what I ended up with. We cut them in half and topped them with whipped cream and strawberry sauce. I’ve never made pound cake before let alone gluten and dairy free pound cake (I’ve been gluten free for 18 years now) and not only was this easy but super tasty. Everybody was satisfied with the flavor and density of the cake and none would have guessed it was gluten and dairy free. I’ll be using this again for sure!! Thank you.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Rachel–It’s so good to see you here at gfe again–especially with your review/tutorial of sorts on turning my perfect pound cake into individual strawberry shortcakes. I love that! Thank you so very much for sharing here with everyone. I’ll have to share your method on Facebook so that others can follow your lead for the same sweet success! Again, thank you for taking the time to leave this wonderful comment! Btw, you’ve got me beat on gf living. I just passed the 16-year mark. 🙂
Shirley
Lydia says
What quantity in grams is a cup of the gluten free flour in this case?
Shirley Braden says
Hi Lydia–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I’m sorry but I don’t use weights for flour in my recipes so I can’t answer your question. I do know that the weight would vary depending on which gluten-free flours are in the gluten-free flour mix that you decide to use. I know that there are charts online that show the weights of different gluten-free flour by cup.
Shirley
Dennis S says
Hi. My gluten free flour has xanthan gum. Do I need to add more? Thank you for the recipe.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Dennis–No, you don’t need to add more xanthan gum if your gluten-free flour mix already contains it. Enjoy!
Shirley
Maya says
This was absolutely delicious and moist! Thumbs up!!! Made it with Bob’s 1 to 1 and added only 1/2 tsp of Xanthan gum (because the mix already contains XG) and baked it in a bundt. This will become part of the rotation.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Maya–Yay! I’m thrilled that you had such success with this recipe and enjoyed it so much! It’s one of my and everyone else’s favorites. So glad it’s now one of yours as well! 🙂
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this wonderful review!
Shirley