One of my Facebook friends requested a recipe for a gluten free pound cake. This recipe is my first attempt. I love pound cake and have not made one or tasted one in years. It rose perfectly. It turned out just a tad grainy (not as bad once it cools) because I had added 1/4 cup brown rice flour. Rice flour tends to be grainy. I have substituted the brown rice flour for additional tapioca flour in the recipe below. That should make it nice and starchy like a good pound cake (UPDATE: See feedback from a reader below.) I suggest to use regular white sugar instead of the organic evaporated sugar. It gives it a different taste. At 1 hour the cake was not done baking. I left it in for 10 minutes longer, but that was too long. Time got away from me. I suggested 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes total. At 1 hour and 10 minutes, it did not make the cake dry, but the outside was a little harder than I wanted. I fixed that by wrapping it in foil where the steam softened it right up. Not bad for attempt number one. My suggested changes are below. I was trying to go a little healthier, but it did not work as planned. This is a heavy pound cake, but oh so delicious! Enjoy. One reader surely did – “better than Starbuck’s!”
A gluten free pound cake which does not call for any rice flour; heavy, but so rich and delicious!
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks butter (Use unsalted if you wish to make a low sodium version.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 5 large egg whites (room temperature)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup corn starch* (or potato starch, if you're corn-free.)
- 1 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup potato flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (or guar gum, if corn-intolerant)
- 1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder**
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup lemon zest (appx. 6 lemons)
- 1/3 cup pineapple chunks
- Icing with or without lemon juice or zest
Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and salt, scraping sides as needed.
- Add one egg yolk at a time until well blended and creamy, scraping sides as needed.
- Add vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- Add flours to a separate bowl.
- Sift in baking powder.
- Sift all ingredients together and whisk together.
- Add flour mixture about 1/4 cup at a time into batter until each is well blended.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a separate bowl beat egg whites until they become foamy - not stiff.
- Fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not beat them into the batter.
- Butter a loaf pan; and pour batter into it, and even out the top.
- Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean anywhere, but do not test the center. That should remain sticky.
- Allow to cool until you can comfortably hold baking pan with hands. With a butter knife loosen the edges and shake a bit to loosen, if necessary. Place on cooling rack to fully cool before slicing.
Tips
*Bob's Red Mill makes a non-GMO cornstarch.
**Featherweight makes a gluten-free, corn-free baking powder. Otherwise, Rumford and Clabbergirl are gluten-free.
Do not substitute margarine for butter.
If your butter is not softened when mixing with sugar and salt, it may take longer to cream.
If you beat the egg whites too long and they become stiff it should produce a lighter cake. Just gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
UPDATE: June 4, 2010 comment left on my old blog:
“The cake is “too die for”… and to combat my over zealous eating the whole thing at once problem…. I let it cool, cut it into slices, wrapped it up tight in freezer paper, then ziplocked each slice individually air tight…. for treats later. I made a little glaze to drizzle on the top and it was not Starbucks but it was better!!!! Thank you again!!!!”
Is there anything I can substitute for potato flour? I’ve missed pound cake so much!! Thank you!!!
Becky,
This is a recipe that I created a few years ago. This pound cake is incredibly tasty, but it is extremely heavy as I believe another person mentioned. In addition, it turned out a little gritty due to the regular ground rice flour. If you do make it, I suggest to allow the batter to rest for about 20 minutes before baking the cake.
Carol Kicinski contributed a recipe for her pound cake. Check it out at http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-pound-cake/. It calls for superfine ground rice flour. I haven’t made it. The only thing I would suggest is to use less baking powder. Her recipe calls for quite a bit. If you have trouble with a lot of shrinking or it falls, try reducing the baking powder the next time you make it.
Meanwhile, I hope you find the above information useful.
Carla
As far as a substitute for potato flour, you can try millet flour, but potato flour is a bit more starchy.
I wonder if it could make it whitout butter (i can´t eat it), any replacement? thank you very much
Hi Kitara,
Please see the substitution page at http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-substitutions/. I hope this helps.
Carla
This looks delicious!
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Thank you! Love your site, as well!
The receta is quite clear. I would like to know if the meal has a lot of calories per cup. I am going have my mother to try this recipe because I can’t cook. Thanks for the work, looking foward for more.
Hi there!
Yes. The recipe is high in calories, as it contains butter, lots of egg yolks, sugar and starches. It’s not an everyday type of dessert, most definitely, but great when you’re in the mood for something sweet and indulgent! I hope your mother enjoys making this cake! It weighs a ton, but is so moist!