Flourless Pound Cake
No flour, no starch, nothing but blanched almond flour, and it still slices like a real pound cake. The catch is the eggs. Without gluten, the air you whip into them is the only thing holding the cake up, so beat the eggs and sugar for a full five minutes, until the mixture’s thick and pale and falls off the whisk in a ribbon. I set a timer, because it always looks ready at three minutes and it isn’t.
Fold the almond flour in gently after that, then the melted butter. It comes out pale gold with a crack down the middle and a fine, moist crumb. It’s naturally gluten-free, and nobody’s ever noticed.
A flourless pound cake made with blanched almond flour, so there's no wheat in it at all. Whipped eggs give it lift and a crumb that slices cleanly. It keeps for three days on the counter, wrapped, or about a week in the fridge.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on the long sides so the cake lifts out easily.
- Combine the eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns pale, nearly doubles in volume, and falls from the beater in a thick, slow ribbon. This aeration is the structural backbone of the cake, so do not rush it.5 large eggs, 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- Stir in the vanilla extract with a few gentle turns of the spatula. Add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt all at once, then fold slowly with a rubber spatula, cutting down through the center and sweeping up around the sides. Stop the moment no dry streaks remain — overworking deflates the air you just built in.1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 cups blanched almond flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch salt
- Pour the cooled melted butter around the edge of the bowl and fold it in with the same gentle motion, turning the batter just until it looks smooth and uniform. Cooled butter (not hot) keeps the eggs from deflating.1/4 cup unsalted butter
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden with a natural crack running down the center and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the top browns quickly before the inside is done, tent loosely with a piece of aluminum foil for the remainder of the bake time.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely before lifting it out and slicing. Cutting into a warm almond flour loaf will compress the crumb — patience here gives you clean, even slices.
Nutrition
Notes
Store the cooled loaf wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. For extra flavor, add 1 teaspoon of almond extract alongside the vanilla.
You might also like our Easy Homemade Pound Cake.
made this yesterday and my kids actually asked for seconds which literally never happens. the almond flour keeps it so moist. definitely going in the rotation
i was nervous about no flour but followed the recipe exact and it turned out perfect. my mom said it reminded her of something she used to make. 5 stars
so easy and takes maybe 15 minutes to get in the oven. i added a little lemon zest because thats what i had and it was great. made half a batch for the two of us and had plenty left over
Clear instructions, appreciated