Pound Cake Perfection (and banana bread!)

Even before I went gluten-free, I could not bake a good pound cake. I tried several different recipes, always imagining a slightly dense, super buttery, golden mound, only to be met with uncooked centers, poor flavor, or airy texture. Add gluten-free flours to the mix, and things got even more interesting; one inch high pound cake, anyone?

I had just given up, again, when Shirley, of Gluten Free Easily, featured a recipe she titled ‘Perfect Pound Cake’. I was skeptical; I thought that a gluten-free pound cake scarcely existed, let alone a ‘perfect’ gluten-free pound cake. Well, she just likes to prove me wrong, and this pound cake is quite perfect. So much so, that I ate half of the entire first loaf, moments after it emerged from the oven. I’ve made this at -least- a dozen times, always changing things up a bit, depending on what I have; sometimes it’s been made with pineapple coconut juice, almond flavor, walnuts, chocolate chips, rhubarb, and, on the to-do-list is cherries. Rum soaked cherries? Homemade cherry pie filling? Anyway…

Shirley originally used light olive oil, which, confession, I never have. Instead, I used a neutral oil combined with extra-virgin olive oil, and a little applesauce to lighten it up a bit.

This recipe yields two impressive loaves, one of which I often turn into banana bread (instructions below). For egg-free fans: I’ve not forgotten you, I am working on veganizing the recipe, and it’s close. Stay tuned! If you don’t have the ingredients for the variation I make, check out the original recipe, and within a short time, you too can be enjoying Perfect Pound Cake.

(Perfect?!) Pound Cake and/or Banana Pound Cake/Bread

Originally from Gluten-Free Easily’s Perfect Pound Cake
Adapted by CinnamonQuill
Edit: This recipe only seems to work with guar gum, not xanthan. Please only attempt it with guar, or the loaves won’t rise enough. Anyone have any insight on why this might be? Perhaps decreasing the xanthan would work, but for best results, use guar!

1/2 cup canola or safflower oil
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/3 cup water (OR, instead of water/coconut milk: 2/3 cup Lite coconut milk)
2 Tablespoons orange juice (secret ingredient!)

3/4 cup finely ground brown rice flour
3/4 cup potato starch
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 teaspoons guar gum (do not use xanthan gum)
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil and sugar two loaf pans: I use two 8×4 inch pans.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine oils, applesauce, sugar/brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, coconut milk and/or water, and orange juice. Mix until sugar dissolves, slightly.

Add flours, xanthan/guar gum, salt, and baking powder.

Mix for two minutes, or until all ingredients have transformed into a well-combined batter.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake for 50 – 55 minutes, until toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10-20 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack until fully cooled. Can be stored on counter, in refrigerator, or freezer (this cake actually freezes very well).

For one banana loaf (variation):

1 super-ripe banana, mashed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pour half of above batter into loaf pan. To remaining batter, add banana, cinnamon, and walnuts, mixing until the banana and cinnamon are well-combined. Pour into other loaf pan. Bake as directed above.

*I usually make one pound cake and one banana loaf; I assume the above could be doubled to make two banana loaves, but I’ve never actually tried it.

Nothing like a slice of pound cake to start your day…wait, what about *chocolate* pound cake…anyone?