Lemon Pound Cake
Gluten free buttery Lemon Pound Cake is just dense enough to be true to the name without being heavy. A very difficult balance to achieve whether you are baking a pound cake with or without gluten. Traditionally, a pound cake only contains four ingredients- sugar, butter, eggs and flour. After trying many variations of ingredients and ratios of them, I went back to the beginning for the best result. Just a small amount of baking powder to lighten it up a bit and of course, lots of fresh lemon flavor!
Lemon Pound Cake Batter
This is a very simple batter to pull together. Begin by creaming the sugar and softened butter in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer. Add the eggs and mix again until well incorporated. The final wet ingredient is the lemon juice along with the zest. Start on a low speed with the hand mixer to reduce splatter. Once the juice is incorporated, turn up the speed and whip the batter for about a minute.
Gradually add in the flour and baking soda using the hand mixer until it is fully combined. The only gluten free flour that this recipe was tested with was Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum. Because there is so much variation from one gluten free flour blend to the next, I can’t guarantee the results will be the same if you use another flour. Please let me know what the results are in the comments if you do try a different variety.
The Loaf Pan
A standard 5 by 9 inch loaf pan is recommended for this recipe. If you use a different size or shape of baking pan, just remember to adjust the baking time to account for the depth of the cake. Deeper cakes will take longer to bake and vice versa. If you plan to remove the cake to serve it (which is what I do) grease and line the pan with parchment paper. Then pour in the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula before popping it into the oven.
Gorgeous Lemon Glaze
Combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir and work out the lumps. Then add the melted butter and lemon zest. Stir until combined well.
When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the glaze on top while it is still in the pan. Let it rest for about ten minutes before transferring it to a serving plate and slicing.
More Gluten Free Sweet & Savory Loafs
Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 sticks butter (room temp)
- 5 large eggs
- 2 lemons (zest & juice)
- 2 cups gluten free flour with xanthan gum
- ½ tsp baking powder
Lemony Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 lemon (zest & juice)
- 4 tbsp butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 5×9 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, combine the softened butter and sugar until creamy.
- Add the eggs, then the lemon juice and zest to the bowl and continue mixing until they are both fully incorporated. Turn the speed up to high for about 30 seconds to a minute to add a bit of air to the mixture.
- Slowly add the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients, keeping the mixer at a slow speed until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and transfer to the oven to bake for approximately 1 hour. To check for doneness, gently press the center of the loaf to make sure that it feels baked through & doesn't feel jiggly or mushy.
- Remove from the oven and pour the Lemony Glaze evenly over the top. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.
For the Lemony Glaze:
- Combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix well and work out the lumps. Add the zest and melted butter, stirring until combined well.
