A dairy-free. gluten-free, egg-free pound cake is possible, and it tastes divine!
This basic vanilla pound cake is so versatile. Top a slice with strawberries or blueberries, add your favorite topping, and you will have shortcake. For just a taste of chocolate, add a chocolate glaze to balance with the vanilla. If chocolate does not interest you, give the lemon glaze a try. Then, there is always an almond glaze…..or maple cinnamon.
One cake, five different toppings! What could be better?
Dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free Pound Cake Recipe
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup cashew milk (but almond or oat works well, too)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons plant-based butter, softened (I love Country Crock Plant Based Butter sticks)
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla (yes, that’s a lot)
- 1 ¾ cup King Arthur Gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons. baking powder
- ¼teaspoon salt
Ingredients for Glazes
For the Lemon Glaze
- zest from ½ a medium or large lemon (optional: leave out if you want a light taste of lemon)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (if corn sensitive, you will need to make your own confectioner’s sugar)
- 2 tablespoons cashew milk or other nondairy milk
For the Chocolate Glaze
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (if corn sensitive, you will need to make your own confectioner’s sugar)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer the dark cocoa powder)
- 2 tablespoons plant milk (I prefer cashew but almond and oat work well)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Additional plant milk (as needed)
- Chocolate chips, pecans, almond slices for topping (optional)
For the Almond Glaze
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (if corn sensitive, you will need to make your own confectioner’s sugar)
- 2 tablespoons plant milk (I prefer cashew but almond and oat work well)
- A few drops of almond extract
- almond slices or slivers
For the Maple Cinnamon Glaze
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (if corn sensitive, you will need to make your own confectioner’s sugar)
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon plant butter, very soft
- 1/2 pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (more as needed)
Instructions
For the Cake
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
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Grease a loaf pan with plant butter and set it aside.
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Combine the cashew milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.
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Beat the softened plant butter butter on high for about 20 seconds.
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Then, add the sugar and vanilla and mix for another 20 seconds.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, add half of this dry mix to the bowl with the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Then, add the second half of the dry mix and mix again. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Now add the cashew milk/ACV mixture to the bowl and mix on a medium-low speed until the batter is mostly smooth
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Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spatula.
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Bake in your preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted down the center comes out free of batter, (a few crumbs are ok, though.)
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Place the pan on a cooling rack. Once cool enough to handle (after about 30 minutes), remove the cake from the pan by placing the cooling rack up-side-down over the top of the loaf pan and then quickly flip the pan over.
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Once the cake is removed, carefully flip it so it’s right side up on the cooling rack (to prevent rack line indentations from forming across the top).
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While the cake is still slightly warm, trim any overly browned, crispy edges, corners and sides with a sharp serrated knife.
After your cake has completely cooled, make your glaze.
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Liberally drizzle on your choice of glaze while the cake is still on the cooling rack. (You may want to place parchment paper or a baking sheet underneath to catch the drips!) Since I usually have some glaze left over, I’ll let the first layer completely dry, and then add a second layer of glaze on top of that.
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Once the glaze is dry, using a spatula, carefully transfer the cake to an airtight container, cake saver, or your serving plate of choice.
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Enjoy!
For the Lemon Glaze:
Simply blend all ingredients together with an electric mixer until combined.
For the Chocolate Glaze:
- Sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt. Then add the mixture to a medium-sized bowl.
- Combine 2 Tablespoons of the plant milk and the vanilla.
- Add the milk mixture to the cocoa mixture. Start whisking them together.
- The glaze will probably be too thick. Gradually add up to another 5 teaspoons of plant milk, until the glaze is the consistency you want. Add one teaspoon more at a time, then whisk it in and check the consistency before adding more milk.
- Pour the icing over your cooled cake. Add any toppings right away before the glaze starts to set. Let the glaze set completely before slicing and serving your cake.
For the Almond Glaze:
- Add the confectioner’s sugar, plant milk, and almond extract to a bowl, mixing until smooth.
- Then top the cake with some almond flakes or slivers and place into the fridge for a little while so that the glaze can set.
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