Gluten Free Pound Cake

This gluten free pound cake is deliciously buttery, moist, and dense. Just like traditional pound cake, it has a smooth and tender texture, and just the right amount of vanilla flavor. Even though it’s gluten-free and paleo, no one will know! Finish with my vanilla glaze, fruit, or whipped cream!

Let me just give it to you straight: this gluten free pound cake is out of this world. I mean, I didn’t even expect it to turn out this good. It is soft, dense, and buttery, and the vanilla icing takes the cake!

Texture is super important to me. It’s why I spent so much time developing my paleo chocolate cake recipe. And while making a paleo and gluten free pound cake was a bit more challenging, it was so worth it. I love testing gluten free recipes on my gluten-filled friends, and this one was one of the favorites. It has the unique flavors and texture of pound cake, and it’s made with more nourishing ingredients!

Pound cake gets it name because traditional recipes used one pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. No leavening agents were included—so the cake remained dense. While pound cake originated sometime in the 1700s, over the years, most recipes have been tweaked to make the cake lighter and softer.

To make this pound cake perfectly light and moist, I used my signature trifecta of almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour. Yogurt is the secret ingredient—it’s what makes this pound cake dense and flavorful!

How to Make Gluten Free Pound Cake

This pound cake is my favorite because the batter mixes up in one bowl. Just mix, pour the batter into your loaf pan, and bake! Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. I use a traditional 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan for this recipe.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the yogurt, ghee, maple sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract and stir until combined.

Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My pound cakes are always done at about 55 minutes. The outer layer will be golden brown, and the inside will be light and soft.

Vanilla Glaze

While it’s totally optional, this vanilla glaze takes the cake! It is a very simple mixture of organic powdered sugar, coconut milk, and vanilla extract. When you pour it on top, it will set and slightly harden. Then, you can slice and serve! My husband prefers pound cake without the glaze, so I make a batch and only pour it on half of the cake. #compromise.

To prepare the glaze, add the powdered sugar to a pourable large measuring cup. Slowly add the coconut milk and vanilla extract and stir. If your glaze feels too thin, just add a little bit more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add 1/2 teaspoon more of coconut milk at a time. It should be thick, but pourable.

Pour the glaze over the entire pound cake and let it set prior to slicing.

Can I Make Ingredient Substitutions?

Sure can! However, this is where I make that special note that you won’t get the same consistent results if you vary from the original recipe. But, if you find yourself short, here’s a few swaps you can make!

• Almond flour: You can use another nut flour, like cashew flour.
• Tapioca flour: You can use arrowroot flour. Note: this will change the texture slightly as arrowroot is a little more gummy.
• Maple Sugar: You can swap this for coconut sugar, light brown sugar, or granulated sugar.
• Ghee: As stated in the recipe, you can use unsalted butter instead of ghee.
• Dairy-free yogurt: Not interested in using a dairy-free yogurt? Just use a regular plain or vanilla yogurt.

Serving and Storage Info

If you aren’t serving this pound cake right away, save the icing until just prior to serving. Give yourself some extra time (about an hour) so the icing can set. You can store this gluten free pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you store it in the refrigerator, it will last 5-7 days.

If you have some extra cake and want to make it last longer, store it in the freezer! I recommend freezing it without the icing for best results. Simply wrap the leftover pound cake in parchment paper, then put in a sealable bag and store it in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, lay it out at room temperature for a few hours.

Why I Love This Recipe

• This recipe makes soft and buttery pound cake!
• The recipe is surprisingly simple.
• This pound cake does well baked ahead of time and freezes well.
• I absolutely love the vanilla glaze! It’s the perfect sweet finish and hardens on top.
• This recipe is completely gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo!

Baking Tips + Tricks

• If you forgot to lay out your eggs to get them to room temperature, just place the eggs in a warm water bath for a few minutes.
• Make sure your ghee or butter is soft and spreadable. If you’re using ghee, you’ll need to soften it slightly in the microwave for 5-7 seconds.
• I tested this recipe with many different kinds of plant-based yogurts, and everything worked great. You can use either plain or vanilla yogurt. I prefer Laava Vanilla Yogurt as it boosts the vanilla flavor.
• Maple sugar is harder to find, but gives the cake a light color. Using coconut sugar will just give it a darker color.
• If your glaze feels too thin, just add a little bit more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add 1/2 teaspoon more of coconut milk at a time. It should be thick, but pourable.

Stocking the Pantry

I personally use Thrive Market for most of my pantry needs because it saves me some cash—especially when it comes to commonly used items like blanched almond flour, ghee, and coconut oil. For a complete list of my recommend pantry items and what I use in my home, check out my Baking and Cooking Resources Page.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Paleo Chocolate Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting
• Fudgy Paleo Brownies (Crackly Top, Gluten-Free)
• Baked Paleo Chocolate Donuts
• Fluffy Paleo Cinnamon Rolls
• Paleo Double Chocolate Banana Bread

What did you think about this gluten free pound cake recipe? Did anyone notice it was paleo? Come and let me know in the comments below!