Gluten Free Almond Pound Cake Recipe

Pound cake is not considered the most gorgeous gal at the prom; in fact there are those who would consider it quite plain, ordinary and run of the mill. Not me. I have always loved pound cake.

I don’t care that it isn’t all dolled up with frosting and sugar roses. I just think it doesn’t need the adornment to shine, like a truly beautiful woman who needs no makeup.

Sure I like chocolate layer cake but pound cake and I go way back. It was the first cake I ever “made” or should I say defrosted? Remember Sarah Lee Pound Cake? I do. In fact it was one of the few things I mourned when I went gluten free. When I was developing my own gluten free flour blend I didn’t consider the development complete until it produced a perfect pound cake.

I once spent several weeks in a very impoverished country in West Africa. The quality of food in our relatively luxery hotel was as poor as the country’s inhabitants; the eggs had watery, green yolks, the beef was tough and stringy, the vegetables and fruit were washed in water that contained a bacteria unfamiliar to our Western constitutions and the fish was pulled from a river where the inhabitants washed their clothes, animals and bodies. The country had once been a settlement of the French so our hotel offered exceptional coffee, red wine and, you guessed it, pound cake. Pound cake sustained me for two weeks.

To me, pound cake is like the perfect pair of jeans; fitting for almost any occasion, easily dressed up when a fancier occasion calls for it. I don’t mind the plainness of pound cake, in fact I embrace it.

I surprised even myself when I decided to deviate from my regular plain-Jane pound cake recipe. But I am not sorry I did. With the addition of a can of Solo Almond Paste to the batter and a bath in simple syrup enlivened with pure almond extract, this gluten Free Almond Pound Cake recipe is indeed a winner. It is also easier to prepare than my regular pound cake recipe; the batter is prepared entirely in the food processor. It is definitely a keeper.

I have more than one pair of perfect jeans and now I have more than one recipe for perfect pound cake.

Gluten Free Almond Pound Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Gluten free, non-stick cooking spray
8 ounces Solo Almond Paste
2 cups sugar, use divided
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cup into tablespoon sized pieces
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
*1 ½ cups gluten free all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup water
1 tablespoon pure almond extract

*in place of gluten-free all-purpose flour you can use 2/3 cup superfine white rice flour, 1/3 cup sweet rice flour, ½ cup tapioca starch and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 cup bundt pan liberally with cooking spray.

Crumble the almond paste into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add 1 ½ cups sugar and process until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add the butter and process until the mixture starts to ball up in the processor. With the machine running, add the eggs one at a time, letting the machine run for a few seconds between each addition. Add the vanilla. Turn the machine off and add the flour, salt and baking powder. Process until the batter is combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar with ½ cup water and bring to a boil, stirring to melt the sugar. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract. Let cool.

When the cake is done spoon on the syrup and them let the cake sit for 30 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the cake releases easily from the pan. Flip the cake onto a serving plate and serve.

Servings:

A gluten free recipe that serves 10 – 12.

Ready for another dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I love your gluten free recipes - I can now have my desserts.” – F.R.

 

Need a quick meal?

Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals is now available, with over 100 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“The “Simply” in ‘Simply … Gluten-Free Quick Meals’ doesn’t just make for a catchy title. The recipes in this cookbook truly are quick and easy to prepare. – A. C.

“I set the timer on two separate nights and made two complete meals from Carol’s latest cookbook in 30-40 minutes. They not only pleased my family, but gave me new recipes and techniques to get dinner on the table faster every night.” – W. K.

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