By / Last Modified On January 31, 2023
A sweet, buttery gluten-free pound cake that has the perfect crumb and texture. This traditional cake recipe is simple to make and is so good with fresh whipped cream and berries. This makes the perfect summer dessert for a potluck or picnic.
If you love cake for tea or for special occasions, you need to try these gluten-free cake recipes. This light and fluffy gluten-free angel food cake recipe is simple to make and so good! Gluten-free lemon cake will be the perfect addition to any holiday celebration or this gluten-free vanilla cake recipe that is tender and better than any bakery style cake. Dessert recipes are the best, try these gluten-free desserts too.
BEST GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE RECIPE
This is the best gluten-free pound cake. I originally developed this gluten-free pound cake recipe in 2017 in partnership with a brand. I've recently revamped it with new photos, techniques, and updated ingredients. This gluten-free pound cake is now perfect, and most can't tell that it's gluten-free.
Pound cakes were originally made with a pound of each main ingredient (flour, butter, sugar, and eggs). Over the years, pound cakes have evolved based on the desired texture or shape of the cake. Some bakers like to make gluten-free pound cakes in Bundt pans, while I like to stick to a traditional loaf pan.
If you're looking for a sponge cake, you'll want to make my gluten-free angel food cake.
WHY YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE THIS GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE
Tastes great - This gluten-free pound cake tastes just like its gluten equivalent. No one can tell it is gluten-free.
Decorate it to your liking - We like to add cream and seasonal fruits on top for an extra punch of flavor.
Traditional recipe - This is a traditional recipe that any gluten-free kitchen needs a good recipe for. So, keep this as your go to recipe.
INGREDIENTS IN GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE:
Gluten-free flour - I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, or my gluten-free flour blend.
Baking Powder - Helps give it a lift.
Salt - Did you know that salt helps enhance other flavors?
Unsalted butter - Butter is one of the main ingredients in this easy gluten-free pound cake recipe. It provides flavor, texture, and moisture.
Sugar - Provides flavor and helps with texture.
Eggs - Provides moisture, helps with the rise, and helps with that perfect texture.
Vanilla extract - Provides flavor. Feel free to mix it up and use orange extract, lemon extract, or almond extract.
Milk - Provides moisture and helps with texture.
This gluten-free pound cake batter is thick. You will need to spoon the batter into your pan and then level it. I have not used cream cheese in my recipe. Cream cheese traditionally makes a smooth crumb, but this combination of ingredients works well without cream cheese.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR THIS GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE
Loaf pan - We suggest a 9x5 loaf pan for your vanilla pound cake. You can also use a Bundt pan.
Mixing bowls - These Pyrex mixing bowls come in handy.
If you have any questions about making gluten-free pound cake, please leave a comment and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE
- In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes to whip it into the butter. This adds air.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each egg.
- Add in the vanilla and mix just until combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the second half and mix just until combined, no more.
- Add in the milk and mix just until combined. You don’t want to over-mix it. The batter will be thick.
- Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and level the top. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until the center is set and the top is brown. You can check the center with a toothpick to see if it’s done.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions in gluten-free pound cake, please see the complete recipe below.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE
Don't overmix the batter - If you overmix the batter the cake will not come out correctly.
Prepare your loaf pan or Bundt pan - Make sure to prepare your cake pan for cake recipes according to the manufacturers' instructions so the cake does not stick.
Use the correct flour - Use the recommended flour I have tested for the best crumb.
Measure the flour correctly - Use the cup and spoon method so your cake is not too dense.
Frequently Asked Questions
HOW DO I STORE GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE?
Store your GF pound cake in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
CAN I FREEZE GF POUND CAKE?
Yes, you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
CAN I MAKE A GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE WITH ALMOND FLOUR?
I have not tested it with almond flour. Scroll down where I mention flour I have used.
CAN I MAKE THIS GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE RECIPE WITHOUT A STAND MIXER?
Yes, I do not use a stand mixer.
CAN I USE A BUNDT PAN TO MAKE A GF POUND CAKE?
Yes, you can. I haven't made this easy gluten-free pound cake in a Bundt cake pan yet, but when I do, I will probably start with a 6-inch Bundt cake pan.
CAN I MAKE A GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE MIX IN ADVANCE?
Yes, you can. Store it in the fridge for just under 48 hours.
HOW DO YOU GET A GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE OUT OF THE PAN?
Let it cool for roughly 10 minutes in the baking pan on a cooling rack. Make sure to have your baking loaf pan prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions prior to baking so it doesn't stick.
WORKING WITH GLUTEN-FREE FLOURS
When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour. The best method really is to weigh the gluten-free flour but I don't have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet.
WHAT SUBSTITUTIONS / REPLACEMENTS CAN I MAKE IN THIS GF POUND CAKE RECIPE?
Dairy-free - I haven't personally made this dairy-free. I have used almond milk in place of the milk, but I haven't tested this recipe with dairy-free butter yet. When I do, I will update this post. If you use dairy-free butter, please leave a comment below letting me know how it turned out.
Flour - I've tested this gluten-free pound cake recipe with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (not the all-purpose gluten-free flour) and with my gluten-free flour blend. My gluten-free flour blend is a blend of flours you can mix up yourself.
This gluten-free pound cake was originally developed with Ryze Gluten-Free Flour but many of my readers have a hard time getting it because it's been out of stock.
Vanilla extract - Feel free to mix it up and use orange extract, lemon extract, or almond extract.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH GLUTEN-FREE POUND CAKE
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Cherries
- Whipped Cream
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Lemon Curd
You can serve this gluten-free pound cake with your favorite toppings. We like to mix our pound cake recipes up based on the season.
MORE GLUTEN-FREE QUICK BREAD RECIPES:
If you love pound cake recipes, you'll love these quick bread recipes too.
Gluten-Free Pound Cake
A sweet, buttery gluten-free pound cake that has the perfect crumb and texture. This traditional cake recipe is simple to make and is a perfect summer dessert.
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour, or my blend)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan, then sprinkle the sides and bottom with flour. Tap out excess flour. This will prevent sticking.
- In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes to whip it into the butter. This adds air.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each egg.
- Add in the vanilla and mix just until combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the second half and mix just until combined, no more.
- Add in the milk and mix just until combined. You don’t want to over-mix it. The batter will be thick.
- Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and level the top. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until the center is set and the top is brown. You can check the center with a toothpick to see if it’s done.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream.
Notes
- Make sure to spoon your flour into the measuring cup and then level. Never scoop flour with the measuring cup.
- Start with room temperature ingredients.
- Don't overmix once you've added the eggs in.
- I've used almond milk in place of the milk in this recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 134Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 140mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 2g
This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.
Christine Flanagan
On one of the hottest, most humid days in NJ, I just put this in the oven! I just could not wait for cooler temps to try this classic recipe. Nothing brings me back to my childhood and memories of my mom and grandmother than pound cake! I'll post a comment after we taste it! xo
chrystal
I hope you loved it!
Best,
Chrystal
Horsfall
Can I use regular all purpose flour and ordinary vanilla extract?
chrystal
You should be able to use regular flour and ordinary vanilla extract.
Best,
Chrystal
Debra Majeske
I love the simplicity of the recipe. The batter was so creamy. Just put it in the oven. Making it for my ten year old son. Can’t wait to try it.
chrystal
I hope you and your son love it!
Best,
Chrystal
Gurjeet cheed
Thank you for the recipe. I am gluten intolerant I use your cake and muffin recipes - they are great please keep sharing more recipes!
chrystal
I am so glad you like them.
Best,
Chrystal
Adhya
Can I use almond flour instead of gluten free flour
chrystal
Not in this recipe, sorry!
Best,
Chrystal
Cee
Hello Chrystal,
What is the best substitute for sugar for this recipe? Can I use coconut sugar or maple syrup, or rice malt syrup?
I'm trying to find a cake recipe that doesn't use sugar.
chrystal
Hi Cee,
I haven't tried a sugar sub in this particular recipe so I can't really say.
Best,
Chrystal
A baker
Hi I just used coconut sugar to sweeten it and it turned out great !
chrystal
Glad to hear it. Thank you for sharing.
Best,
Chrystal
Cat Fisher Andrews
Does this cake freeze well?
chrystal
Yes, it freezes well.
Best,
Chrystal
dana
Will this cake hold up to the cream and jam for a trifle? Son recently diagnosed with celiac, and we ALWAYS have trifle at Christmas.
chrystal
Yes, this pound cake is lovely in a trifle and will hold up.
Best,
Chrystal
Ellen
I just made this and it was delicious! My sons, who normally don't like my GF dishes, said this was the best GF thing I've ever made. I agree! Will be sure to make again as both the taste and texture were perfect. Can't wait to try some of our other recipes. I used Namaste Organic flour blend.
Amy G
I used this recipe to replace an old family recipe in a cake mold. It was amazing!!! Also it didn’t require me to buy a bunch of ingredients I won’t ever use again. My whole family was impressed. Thank you!
chrystal
I am so glad you love it. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Amy
This was my second recipe of yours, first being the chocolate cupcakes. Oh my goodness, you have nailed the GF flour baking blend. This was a perfect Pound Cake. My Non-GF Husband approves highly of both! Can't wait to try more!
chrystal
I am so glad you like it. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Kev
Hi, I'm UK based can I ask what the cooking temp would be in degs Celsius /fan assisted.
Cheers
chrystal
About 163 degrees Celsius with a fan.
Best,
Chrystal
Samina
Can I use earth balance buttery sticks in this recipe?
chrystal
Hi Samina,
I haven't personally tried them in this recipe yet, so I'm not sure.
Best,
Chrystal
Kathy Brumfield
This was awesome! The entire family enjoyed fresh pound cake and strawberries! Everyone raved it was the best pound cake ever.
chrystal
I am so glad you and your family loved it. Thank you for stopping back by to let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Kia
Good Morning, I made this pound cake with the measurements and time it would have taken to bake this pound cake. Unfortunately, It did not turn out the way I thought it would. The inside was gooey and very moist and the top of the pound cake had sunken in. I am not sure what I did wrong. I used swerve and not regular sugar, could that have been the issue of why my pound cake did not turn out well ?
Thanks,
chrystal
Hi Kia,
Yes, it could have been the sugar free sweetener. What flour blend did you use? Sugar, butter, and flour are the main ingredients in this recipe and they all play an important role in how this pound cake bakes up. With the sugar to flour and butter ratio I could see how it would be soft and not bake up.
I hope that helps.
Best,
Chrystal
Andrea
Could I use a 9x13 pan w this recipe? Thanks
chrystal
I haven't tried it in that size of a pan, but you can bake it in any pan, just adjust the cook time. I would start with 35 minutes and watch it from there.
Best,
Chrystal
Felicia
You mentioned in the article you used almond milk? How much and is there any adjustments to be made? I wanted to make this for someone who is also doesn't drink/intake milk. Thanks.
chrystal
When I use almond milk, I use it as a 1:1.
Best,
Chrystal
Karen Denison
I made it and it tasted delicious, but was the consistency of baked pudding. Perhaps I stirred it too much. I made it before and it was perfect.
chrystal
Hi Karen,
It's possible that you stir too much. Also, sometimes oven temperatures vary. If the oven was opened during baking, it may have let some of the heat out and not baked through.
Best,
Chrystal
Bonnie
I made this pound cake recipe following the directions precisely. I used Bob's Red Mill Flour, butter and 2% milk. Turned out absolutely delicious. Great recipe!
chrystal
I am so glad you liked it. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop back by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
koen early
how do i make it chocolate???
chrystal
I haven't made this into a chocolate pound cake. You could add cocoa, or search specifically for a gluten free chocolate pound cake. I do have chocolate bundt cake recipe and a chocolate banana bread recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
koen early
how much cocoa do i add?
chrystal
I haven't personally added cocoa to this recipe. It might be best to look up a recipe for chocolate pound cake or to use my chocolate bundt cake recipe or chocolate banana bread recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
Anna
Hello,
What is the best way to store the pound cake?
Thanks!
Lindsay
Hi Anna, You can store this in an airtight container on the counter for a couple of days. Enjoy!
Norah
Love this fun and straightforward recipe! Added a bit of lemon zest alongside the vanilla extract and put it into a Gugelhupf baking form - turned out so light and fluffy and scrumptious. Thanks Chrystal!
chrystal
You are very welcome. I am so glad you liked it.
Best,
Chrystal
TJ
Do you have baking times for mini loaf pans?
Wendy Stoltz
Hi TJ,
I haven't tried it in that size of a pan, but you can bake it in any pan, just adjust the cook time. I would start with 35 minutes and watch it from there.
Lou
Can you use this recipe to make mini cakes
Wendy Stoltz
Yes, Lou, you can definitely use this recipe to make mini gluten-free pound cakes!
You may need to adjust the baking time depending on the size and shape of your mini cake pans, so keep an eye on them in the oven and test them with a toothpick to check for doneness.
Charlene
The recipe does not state when to add eggs, vanilla or sugar. I didn’t realize that until I followed all the steps. I read the recipe at least 5x and thought I had just simply missed the instruction. It doesn’t appear so. Hopefully the pound cake will turn out since I had no choice but to proceed by mixing the egg, vanilla and sugar together so that I wouldn’t over mix the dough. Ugh, I hope this recipe lives up to the good reviews despite the poorly written recipe.
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Charlene,
The recipes does state when to add those ingredients. It is steps 4,5, and 6. Maybe take a look again.
Melinda
This recipe was fantastic! I made it dairy free using almond milk and Olive Oil Plant butter (Country Crock), and it turned out beautifully. I served with coconut whipped cream and strawberries. It was a hit! No one missed the gluten (or dairy).
Wendy Stoltz
That's wonderful to hear, Melinda! I'm delighted that the gluten-free pound cake recipe worked out so well for you, even with the modifications you made to make it dairy-free. Using almond milk and Olive Oil Plant butter (Country Crock) was a great substitution choice, and I'm glad it turned out beautifully. It's fantastic that everyone enjoyed it, and the fact that no one missed the gluten or dairy is a testament to the recipe's success. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. Happy baking!