The mission: Create an Almond Pound Cake recipe that’s not just gluten free and dairy free, but also sweetened with unrefined sugar and packed with good-for-you protein. And the texture? It’s gotta be deliciously tender and springy.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Coconut Milk: Buttermilk is a great sub if you don’t have a dairy allergy.
- Orange: You can use lemon juice and zest. If you have any orange water or extract, add a splash of that too.
- Almond Butter: Unsalted butter or peanut butter will work.
- Coconut Sugar: Muscavado, date or maple sugar all work as well as, last resort, granulated sugar.
- Eggs: You can use a chia egg.
- 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds to 3 tablespoons water, let it sit for 10 minutes until it forms a gel
- Honey: Sub with maple syrup or cane syrup.
- Brown Rice/Tapioca/Oat Flour: If missing one, omit them all and substitute with 2/3rd cup of a gluten free flour blend.
- Avocado oil: Sub with melted butter, coconut oil or grapeseed oil.
- Sliced Almonds: Garnish with orange slices, chocolate chips or edible flowers. Get creative!
Recipe Tips & FAQs
- Why we prepare the loaf pan with sugar instead of flour: I like the sweetness and slightly crunchy texture it gives the exterior of the bread. GF flours tend to get a little pasty when they’re used to make a pan nonstick, so opt for sugar whenever it makes sense.
- If you don’t want to use the oil and sugar to make your baking pan nonstick, you can stick a large piece of parchment paper in your loaf pan instead.
- Think of this bread as more of a pound cake than a traditional loaf of bread. The texture will be tender, slightly dense, and satisfying.
Serving Suggestions
- Brunch: Serve with this Frittata and a Berry Parfait
- Weekend Breakfast Alchemy: Turn this into french toast.
- Mix 1 egg with 2 tablespoons of milk
- Soak a slice of almond pound cake in the milk mixture for 5 minutes
- Fry the almond pound cake in a pan on medium heat with a tablespoon of butter
- Serve with maple syrup and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
- Late Night: Top a slice with some almond butter and peach preserves for an elevated snack that will keep you satiated all night long
Storage and Shelf Life
Refrigerate: Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container.
Freezer: Freezes well for up to 3 months if wrapped well in plastic wrap or stored in a vacuum-sealed bag.
Reheat Instructions
If desired, preheat a toaster oven to 350˚, and reheat a slice for 2 minutes, until warmed through.
Final Thoughts
I know everybody is into baking sourdough these days, but I still think baking quick breads is a whole lot of fun and wayyyy more approachable. This is a delicious loaf of bread, not something you’ll have to work to keep alive. The question I would ask all the sourdough enthusiasts is: do you really think I need a refrigerated pet at this moment? That can’t even snuggle?!? Don’t we all have enough to deal with right now?
Seems to me this almond pound cake is just as satisfying without the long term commitment. It’s tender and sweet and goes great with a cup of afternoon chai.
Did you make this recipe? Please let us know how it went in the comments, we’d love to hear from you. And don’t forget to subscribe to my weekly newsletter!
Almond Pound Cake
Special Equipment
- 1 KitchenAid mixer
- 1 9-inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- ½ cup almond butter
- ½ cup smashed banana about 1 small banana
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar + more for dusting the pan
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup brown rice flour
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 3 tablespoons oat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚.
- Prepare a Loaf Pan: Brush a 9-inch loaf pan with a tablespoon of avocado oil, then sprinkle with coconut sugar to prevent the batter from sticking.
- Prepare the batter: In a medium sized bowl mix together the 1 ¼ cup almond flour, ¼ cup brown rice flour, 3 tablespoons tapioca starch, 3 tablespoons oat flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Set aside.
- Place 3 tablespoons coconut milk, ¼ teaspoon orange zest and 1 tablespoon orange juice in a small bowl. Mix and set to the side.
- Cream ½ cup almond butter and ½ cup banana in a KitchenAid mixer on medium high speed for 2 minutes, until very well mixed.
- Add ¾ cup coconut sugar.
- Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Next add 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Fold the flour mixture into the batter gently.
- Add in coconut milk, orange zest and orange juice.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the pan, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sliced almonds.
- Bake for 45 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a rack.
Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.
Want to know what inspired me to start Everyday Alchemy? Click the link icon below to read more.