As a gluten-free baker, I know how hard it can be to make the perfect pound cake. My easy gluten-free pound cake recipe uses a simple ingredient for a moist crumb, without being dense, gummy, or dry. The trick? Using a combination of cream cheese and butter coats and absorbs into the starches, replicating the identical taste and texture of old fashioned pound cake recipes. Choose from making a loaf cake or the included modifications for a gluten-free pound bundt cake.

cut slices of pound cake facing straight on.

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Best Recipe for Gluten-Free Pound Cake

My quest to develop the best gluten-free vanilla pound cake included a lot of trial and error before landing on the perfect prescription of ingredients and method. Just like when working this recipe for copycat vintage gluten-free Texas sheet cake, I knew swapping out GF flour wouldn’t go far enough.

While some GF cake recipes are more forgiving when swapping out a GF all-purpose flour for wheat, this was not successful for pound cake recipes. It works for this ridiculously moist and fluffy gluten-free chocolate cake because there is no butter, which has a harder time absorbing in GF starches.

But pound cake is dependent on butter for that signature old fashioned, homemade taste. Unfortunately, just swapping flours led to very dense and greasy results. I needed an ingredient to be able to cut back on the butter, without sacrificing taste and moisture.

I turned to trick used in another heavily butter-reliant recipe – tender gluten-free biscuits. Instead of using all butter, a combination of butter and yogurt yields fluffy, tender biscuits. For a gluten-free loaf cake, I needed something similar, but with a little more structure. Gluten-free pound cake with cream cheese was the winning combination!

Below I share all my best tricks for making simple, yet amazing GF pound cake with a rich vanilla flavor, moist interior, and golden, chewy crust. Plus, if you’re partial to a crowd-pleasing bundt cake, the included ingredient modifications turn this into an ideal dessert for celebrations or holidays.

Excellent!! You would never guess that this is gluten free. This is my go to pound cake recipe now! Yummy! I made a blueberry sauce to put on top of it because that is usually how I like to eat pound cake, but this one is so good, I like it better just plain.

—Anne

Ingredient Tid Bits

When making gluten-free desserts, I gravitate towards commonly stocked ingredients or those that can be affordably picked up at a local grocery store. This has not only been a recipe for success with my website, but for the recipes included in my gluten-free cookbook.

The only speciality ingredient required is a high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. I highly recommend using Cup4Cup gluten-free flour, which is a crucial gluten-free baking tip for mimicking the taste and texture of traditional baked goods.

Other than that, the ingredient list is very simple – butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and baking powder. For best results use full-fat cream cheese (this probably isn’t the dessert for you to save calories on).

The combination of butter with cream cheese helps coat and soften the crumb, without weighing it down into a dense, gummy texture. A similar method can be achieved using sour cream, which is what I used with another southern cake classic – old fashioned gluten-free hummingbird cake.

I have not tested gluten-free loaf cake using dairy-free butter or cream cheese. However, if you do so, please leave me a comment below the recipe. I’d love to hear the results!

Let’s Make This Together!

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Start batter and easy oven trick

Begin by preheating the oven at 350ºF. Please note, you will begin baking the pound cake at 350 and then lower the oven temperature to 325ºF for the majority of the baking time. This jump starts the leavening, but then slows it down so the cake can cook for a longer time without drying it out.

In a large mixing bowl beat together the melted butter, cream cheese, and sugar until uniformly combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

the pound cake mixture after the butter, cream cheese and sugar has been mixed.

Adding the eggs

Add the eggs, one at a time, while mixing on medium speed. After the eggs have been mixed, add the vanilla extract to combine. At this point the batter will look a lot thinner.

what the batter looks like after the eggs and vanilla has been added.

Finish off with dry ingredients and bake

Now it’s time to mix in the dry ingredients. Add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until throughly combined.

If baking a loaf cake start in the 350ºF for 15 minutes. Leave the cake in, but turn down the oven temp to 325ºF. Continue baking for 48-52 more minutes, until a cake tester (preferred) or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out without liquid batter.

To make a bundt cake, check out the recipe card below. You will need slightly different ingredient amounts and the baking time will change.

picture of the batter right before pouring in a baking pan.
a bundt cake on a wire rack and marble counter.

My Favorite Serving Ideas

A vanilla pound cake makes great canvas for yummy serving ideas. Of course there is the classic – homemade whipped cream and fresh berries, which is usually what I’ll do for the first go around of serving.

Then with leftovers I like to get a little more creative. Other than whipped cream it tastes great topped with lemon curd, honey ricotta, fruit sauces, or slightly melty Nutella. Slices can also be grilled for a few minutes on low heat or toasted. Then serve with sliced stone fruits and ice cream for an epic treat.

Shake Up The Flavor!

  • Other extracts, such as almond extract or coconut extract can be substituted or use in place of some of the vanilla.
  • For a frosting or pound cake glaze, stir together 1 cup of powder sugar with 2 tbsp liquid, either milk, cream, coconut milk, freshly squeezed lemon juice, or orange juice.
  • Citrus Pound Cake (Lemon, Orange, or Lime) – Add 2 tbsp citrus zest and 1 tbsp citrus juice with the butter. For orange and lemon pound cake, you may also replace 1 tsp of the extract with orange or lemon extract.
an uncut gluten free loaf cake on a marble slab.

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cut slices of pound cake facing straight on.
5 stars (27 ratings)

How to Make Extra Moist Gluten-Free Pound Cake

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 10
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
As a gluten-free baker, I know how hard it can be to make the perfect pound cake. My easy gluten-free pound cake recipe uses a simple ingredient for a moist crumb, without being dense, gummy, or dry. The trick? Using a combination of cream cheese and butter coats and absorbs into the starches, replicating the identical taste and texture of old fashioned pound cake recipes. Choose from making a loaf cake or the included modifications for a gluten-free pound bundt cake.
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Ingredients
 

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Begin by preheating the oven at 350ºF. Please note, you will begin baking the pound cake at 350 and then lower the oven temperature to 325ºF for the majority of the baking time. This jump starts the leavening, but then slows it down so the cake can cook for a longer time without drying it out.
  • Grease the baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. For a loaf cake use a 8.5 X 4.5 inch loaf pan. For easy releasing, I recommend lining the bottom with cut-to-size wax or parchment paper. For bundt cake ingredient amounts and baking instructions, see the recipe notes.
  • In a large mixing bowl beat together the melted, warm butter, cubed cream cheese, and sugar until uniformly combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
    8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, while mixing well between each addition. Then, add the vanilla extract to combine.
    4 large eggs, 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
  • Add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until throughly combined.
    1 ⅔ cup gluten free all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
  • Pour the batter into your prepared pan and evenly spread. Start in the 350ºF for 15 minutes. Leave the cake in, but turn down the oven temp to 325ºF. Continue baking for 48-52 more minutes, until a cake tester (preferred) or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out without liquid batter. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

 
Bundt Cake Modification
  1. For the ingredients, you will need 12 tbsp butter, 6 ounces cream cheese, 1 ¾ + 2 tbsp sugar, 6 eggs, 1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract, 2 ½ cups gluten-free flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, and ¾ tsp salt.
  2. Liberally grease your bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. If your pan is older and does not have a nice nonstick finish, I recommend brushing with melted butter and then dusting with gluten-free flour or sugar. Tap out excess before pouring in batter.
  3. To bake, start in the 350ºF for 20 minutes. Leave the cake in, but turn down the oven temp to 325ºF. Continue baking for 50 more minutes, until a cake tester (preferred) comes out clean. When testing a bundt cake, check in a couple different places, like in the middle and towards the inner edge.
  4. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Gently go around both edges with a knife and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen: How Can It Be Gluten-Free Cookbook
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Calories: 297kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 255mg, Potassium: 99mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 27g, Vitamin A: 438IU, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 1mg
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