Nothing quite screams “SPRING!” like a loaf of this Gluten Free Lemon Almond Pound Cake; an intensely moist lemon pound cake drizzled with a vanilla almond glaze. This is what spring dreams are made of!
ME BEFORE THE RECIPE…
Call us crazy but we just braved the water park today! Yup, you heard that right. Here in Phoenix we apparently feel it an appropriate mid March activity to attend the water park.
Uh, let me rephrase that: most people in Phoenix do NOT attend the water park in March; probably why the parking lot was nearly empty and there were absolutely no lines for any of the slides. Only our family goes to the water park when it’s 68 degrees and breezy outside. But how boring would life be if you didn’t live on the edge at little?!
We literally only stayed an hour and a half and rode about 5 or 6 rides before my girls were ready to call it a day. Poor Braelyn was shivering so bad that her lower back ached and her lips were a shade of blue that was slightly disturbing.
My favorite quote of the day came after asking Emry what we should do next (meaning what ride we should go on next) and she replied with an immediate one word answer, “LEAVE!”
Is anyone nominating me for the Parent of the Year Award yet??? I don’t see why not. Hey, in my defense the girls begged and BEGGED to go today. They even finished all their chores with impeccable detail just to earn a day at the water park. And, well, I did pack sweatshirts, so that was somewhat responsible.
As chilly as we were, there was no denying the fact that it was a beautiful spring day. The skies were blue, the sun was shining, the breeze was blowing…it was an ideal day to be outside. Just more ideal to be riding bikes or playing at the park rather than swimming. We’ll know better next time.
I just need to learn to be patient. I’m so ready for school to end and summer to come. Bring on the scalding sunshine so we can spend our days playing in the water! Although that also means bringing back the days of waking up at 5:00 am so I can finish my runs before it’s a hundred plus many more degrees outside. Eek! Okay, maybe I do want spring to stick around a while longer.
HERE COMES THE RECIPE…
I also wouldn’t mind spring hanging out for two or three more months so I can make a few extra batches of this Gluten Free Lemon Almond Pound Cake. I mean really, does anything scream “SPRING!” more than fresh lemons?! I don’t think so.
This pound cake…well, there’s really no words for it. If I could, I would just record a montage of facial expressions to show you how darn delicious it is. We’re talking imagine your most favorite lemon loaf or cake of all time…I know you all have one, some dreamy lemony cake that is forever etched in your memory. Okay, are you thinking about it??? Alrighty, now chuck it in the garbage because all you’re gonna do is forget about it once you try this gluten free lemon almond pound cake. Trust me.
When I tried this lemon pound cake the first day I made it, I thought, “There is NO way lemon pound cake can get any better than this!” And then it did. The next day it tasted even more scrum-diddley-umptious than the first. I was not expecting that, especially with a gluten free dessert. Usually they dry out or get crumbly the longer they sit. Not with this cake. It becomes even more moist and has a greater lemon flavor on day two.
Not only does the flavor intensify, but the glaze sort of melds together with the very top layer of the cake to form this sorta gooey, but still pretty, blanket of lemony frosting. It’s lick-able, or bite-able, or both. It don’t matter; lick it, bite it, chomp it, slurp it…who cares. Ain’t nobody gonna judge. Well, they’ll probably judge until they’re tried it themselves. Then they’ll understand the lack of manners.
The texture of this gluten free lemon pound cake is superb. It’s dense enough to be considered a pound cake, but at the same time it’s light and fluffy and not overly heavy. Plus, the cake itself boasts enough lemon flavor on it’s own that you don’t need to soak it in any kind of lemon simple syrup after baking. It doesn’t need the extra moisture either. It’s completely melt in your mouth as is.
My girls were a little confused why they couldn’t eat this cake every morning for breakfast. I mean, it is the same shape as banana bread and zucchini bread, so why not consider it a breakfast bread??? Who cares about the two sticks of butter in the batter and the sugary glaze poured on top??? Don’t worry, they had their fair share of cake…just not for breakfast.
Feel free to play around with this recipe to make your favorite flavor combos of lemon pound cake. You could stir in poppyseeds or blueberries or raspberries for a twist in flavor and texture. I opted to sprinkle a handful of sliced almonds on top for a little crunch, but you can definitely omit those if almonds aren’t your thing. You do you; just do your thing!
So if you haven’t solidified your Easter menu yet, consider penciling…no Sharpie-ing… in this gluten free lemon almond pound cake for dessert. Serve it up with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and your friends and family will be singing you praises. And who doesn’t want to be praised? Really?!
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…
- Gluten Free Lemon Curd Macarons
- Gluten Free Sour Cream Lemon Cake
- Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Gluten Free Lemon Basil Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Grapefruit Cake
- For the cake:
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature (1 cup or 16 tablespoons)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup raw honey
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (only if your flour blend doesn't already contain a gum)
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons high quality gluten free all-purpose flour or my preferred blend (2/3 cup white rice flour, ½ cup potato starch, ⅓ cup brown rice flour, ⅓ cup sorghum flour, and ¼ cup tapioca starch)
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons milk
- dash of salt
- sliced almonds (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a nonstick standard loaf pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- Begin making cake. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down sides as needed. Add honey and mix until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down sides as needed. Add almond extract, vanilla, and Greek yogurt or sour cream and mix on low until combined.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, sift together salt, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum (only if your gluten free flour blend doesn't already contain a gum), and gluten free flour (or my preferred blend). Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
- Add lemon juice and lemon zest to batter and mix on low until incorporated. Let batter sit for 5 minutes.
- Once batter has rested, pour into loaf pan and smooth top with spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until top springs back at touch of a finger and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean with very few moist crumbs.
- Remove loaf from oven and set on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Run a sharp knife along edges of pan to loosen cake. Gently flip out and invert onto cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
- Once loaf has completely cooled, begin making glaze. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients together and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over top of cooled loaf and allow to drip down the sides. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top if desired. Let glaze sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in fridge for up to 1 week, or in freezer for up to 3 months.
