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Two slices of gluten-free pound cake.

Gluten-Free Pound Cake

This gluten-free pound cake is dense and buttery. Made with gluten-free flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and just a little baking powder to lighten it.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 18 slices
Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup softened butter, about 65°F degrees (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 5 large eggs (about 9 ounces; 255 grams out of shell)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or brush with solid shortening and lightly dust with gluten-free flour. Optional: after greasing line the pan with a piece of parchment paper.

  2. Whisk the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

  3. Mix the soft butter and sugar on medium-high speed until very light, about three minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to remove the layer of thick butter. Mix for another minute or so to incorporate the thick butter that was clinging to the bowl.

  4. Add three eggs, one at a time. It's important to let each egg mix into the butter before adding the next. Don't rush this step.

    After the third egg mixes into the batter, stop the mixer. Scrape the bowl and add one tablespoon of the gluten-free flour mix. Turn the mixer to low to blend in the flour.

    Add the remaining two eggs, one at a time.

  5. After the last egg is added, stop the mixer. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. If you’re using vanilla extract, add it now. Turn the mixer to medium-low. Mix until light and fluffy, about two minutes.

  6. Stop the mixer. Add the gluten-free flour blend. Mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated. Then increase the speed to medium and blend until a batter forms.

  7. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Fill the pan about ⅔ full.

    If your pan is small, set aside about ⅓ cup of batter. You can use the remaining batter to make a cupcake or two.

  8. Bake until golden brown, about 60 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.

    If the top of the cake is getting too brown before the center is baked, place a piece of foil over the pan and finish baking.

  9. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool.

  10. Store tightly wrapped on the counter for up to four days. Or freeze for up to three months.

Recipe Notes

Ingredient Notes

Gluten-Free Flour. Use a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. If your blend doesn't contain xanthan gum, whisk in ½ teaspoon along with the salt and baking powder.

This recipe was tested with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. Due to the variations in gluten-free flour blends, some blends work better than others.  

Butter. It's important to use softened butter. You want the temperature of the butter around 65°F. If the butter is too cold, it won't get fluffy and the cake will be dense. If the butter is too soft (when it looks greasy or has melted spots), the cake will turn out dense and greasy.

Eggs. Use room temperature eggs. 

Vanilla Extract. The vanilla extract is optional use up to two teaspoons. 

Mixing and Baking Notes.

If the butter and sugar mixture looks curdled at any point during mixing, add one tablespoon of the gluten-free flour mixture.

Fill the pan about ⅔ full. If the pan is too full, it can overflow during baking and cause a mess.