Gluten Free Gingerbread Pound Cake
Do you look forward to gingerbread during the holidays as much as I do? If so, then this Gluten Free Gingerbread Pound Cake definitely deserves a spot on your holiday baking agenda!
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But more importantly, I want Robbie to grow up experiencing Christmas in his own house. I want him to be giddy with excitement when he peers down the stairs to see if Santa came during the night. I want him to sit up tracking Santa’s movement via the NORAD Santa Radar. I pretty much want Robbie to have the same Christmas memories as me!
When my sister and I were young, we’d wake up early (like really early) and run downstairs to wake our parents up. We lived in a historic house in downtown Charleston, SC, so we’d scamper down the creaky wooden staircase into my parent’s room on the 2nd floor. The Christmas tree was always on the 1st floor, but we weren’t allowed to go down until my Dad had set up the video camera. And the lights. Oh, and he had to take a shower, too. I think my Dad secretly relished making us sit there and wait while all this happened!
Speaking of relish and Christmas traditions, have you guys heard about the Christmas Pickle? Yup, it’s a real thing! A pickle-shaped ornament is hidden in the Christmas tree, and the first person to find it on Christmas morning gets an extra present…or at least good luck for the coming year. The origins of this tradition are a bit murky, but that doesn’t matter much, right? The point is you get to hide a pickle in the Christmas tree. (Well, technically it’s a pickle-shaped ornament…but I say you should just go big or go home. Hide a real pickle in your tree this year!)
I seriously went looking for our pickle ornament in the tree…and I couldn’t find it! I know it’s in there. I remember getting it out of the box. But I can’t find the darned thing! So instead the Christmas Armadillo decided to volunteer for the photo. Equally as ridiculous, this Christmas Armadillo is always hiding somewhere in the back branches of our tree each year. I’m told he brings good luck, too. At least I hope so!
Another holiday tradition growing up was gingerbread. My Mom always made gingerbread cookies (not to mention gingerbread houses) each year, and I think that’s why gingerbread is one of my all-time favorite holiday flavors. Gingerbread cookies, gingerbread lattes, gingerbread cake…you name it, and I’m all over it once the holiday season hits!
As I’ve mentioned before, I often take my sweet treats into the curling club. This serves two purposes. I get to share yummy food with my friends and teammates, but I also make sure that I don’t eat the whole darned cake myself! (And, yes, I would eat the whole cake myself. Laura isn’t the biggest fan of gingerbread, so all gingerbread treats come my way.)
One of my curling teammates follows a gluten-free diet, and I’ve felt a little guilty bringing in all sorts of treats that he can’t eat. He doesn’t complain one bit. But I’m sure just watching everyone else chow down on chocolate brownies after a game isn’t the easiest thing to do!
So I decided to up the ante this past week. I pulled out my bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Since it’s the holidays, I decided to go with gingerbread because, well, gingerbread. And that night I took this Gluten Free Gingerbread Pound Cake into the club. And there wasn’t a crumb left on that plate when I got in the car to go home!
Perhaps some of you guys follow a gluten-free diet. Perhaps you have friends and neighbors who are gluten-free. Either way, I can’t recommend this flour enough. I’m a huge fan of all of Bob’s Red Mill products, but this flour is even extra awesome! As the name suggests, this flour can be used as a direct replacement for traditional all-purpose flour. No fancy conversions. No repeated efforts at figuring out a new recipe. Just use the Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in your traditional baked goods…and *boom* gluten-free! (Of course, you should ensure that the other ingredients in the recipe are gluten-free, too.) In case you’re wondering, I’ve made this Gluten Free Gingerbread Pound Cake with traditional all-purpose flour…and I can’t tell a difference in taste or texture!
I hope everyone’s holiday season is off to a great start so far! As for us, we’ve done most of our shopping (minus my presents for Laura since I have no idea what to get her). The plan is to spend this weekend wrapping and boxing everything up to mail out on Monday. There might also be some more Gluten Free Gingerbread Pound Cake involved with this weekend. It was just that good! Cheers!
Wondering where to buy Bob’s Red Mill products near you? Click here! And happy holiday baking!
Gluten Free Gingerbread Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- 2½ tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 8 oz. 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Generously grease and flour (or spray with nonstick baking spray) a bundt pan; set pan aside.
- Using a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, salt, baking soda and baking powder); stir until well combined.
- Using a countertop mixer, add the butter and sugar. Cream together until light and fluffy (~4 minutes on medium speed).
- Add eggs and molasses; mix on low speed until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients; mix on low speed until just combined.
- Add milk and vanilla; mix on low speed until just combined. (Tip: Scrape down sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are well combined.)
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350°F for 55-58 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out mostly clean.
- Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto a baking rack; let cool completely.
- Once cake has completely cooled, whisk together the ingredients for the Glaze (powdered sugar, milk and vanilla). Drizzle Glaze over top of cake.
- {Optional} Sprinkle top of cake with a mix of cinnamon + sugar.
Notes
This Gluten Free Gingerbread Pound Cake post was written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill.
The opinions and recipe are all my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
Your are treating us visually this Christmas David!! Lovely!!
Thanks so much, Sharmila! 🙂
Hi David! I have a mini bundt pan that makes four small cakes and this would be perfect for gift baskets! Based on the quantities in your recipe I believe I could make eight of them. Yum! I think I’d add a few colorful sprinkles on top of the glaze. Have a fun weekend wrapping those gifts and eating cake!
Ohhh…this would indeed be fun baked as mini’s! I’m not sure what the conversion would be, but 8 sounds like a reasonable guess. Although you might need 9. You know, just in case one “mysteriously” disappears before it makes it to a basket! 🙂
I’ve never heard of this pickle ornament tradition, David. It sounds interesting. As per Google, the roots of this tradition might have been related to Germany. And it’s not just the name – that’s really about a pickle (cucumber) ornament. Do you have this kind of ornament in your box? We don’t. The only ornaments related to the edible category we have are a donut and cupcake. And a peacock. Would these count? Also, we like gingerbread (especially cookies). I haven’t made any this season yet, but it’s on my list. Lovely cake. Would you please pass me a slice (by a slice I mean 1/2 of the cake)? Happy Friday!
I do indeed have a pickle ornament…and it’s hanging in my tree somewhere! I really wanted to include a photo in the post, but I seriously couldn’t find the pickle ornament. I must’ve hid it too well this year! 🙂 Although I do like the idea of a donut ornament. Heck, I’m thinking a mini-tree filled with foodie ornaments would be pretty fun! You know…cakes, donuts, cookies, lavender. That sort of thing. Thanks, Ben!
Awww the excitement of Christmas morning. Isn’t it fun… I bet Robbie will love it too! And I hope you won’t let him wait too long to open all the presents. This pound cake will be a hit during Christmas time! I know my GF friends will thank me for this, that’s for sure.
I totally love that excitement (and sheer giddiness) of Christmas morning! Heck, I still love it as an adult…but it was so cool back when we were kids, right? 🙂 I’m thinking presents might have to happen in 2 rounds this year as Robbie will probably need a nap in between. But by next year? That kid is gonna be Santa crazy! That’s fine…the nap gives me time to down a piece or 6 of this gingerbread pound cake on Christmas morning! Thanks, Linda!
This looks lovely David, just perfect! I love gingerbread flavor too and just like Laura, Sarvesh isn’t a huge fan of it! So I will bake this cake and eat it all by myself! 😀 Have a lovely weekend!
Perfect! Our respective spouses don’t like gingerbread, so that means we can make all sorts of gingerbread treats and not worry about them disappearing! haha! How about this? I’ll make a cake. You bring the coffee. We’ll split it 50-50! 🙂
Hahaha… Let me tel you David, it’s not only robbie my daughter is also the same. The moment she sits in the car she will keep on asking as in when we will reach to the destination till the time we reach. Not only this if she sits in the car she has travel sickness so most of the time we go out in a car she has a vomitating incident. BTW lovely recipe David.
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Oh gosh…someone else who has the same problem! I feel bad for you, but at least I know exactly how you feel! 🙂 Staying home for the holidays isn’t the worst thing at all…especially when you have gingerbread cake to keep you company. Thanks, Puja!!
Gotta love family traditions like the Christmas Armadillo…! Also, great timing on this cake. I’m making our Christmas grocery list, and my sister is on an anti-gluten kick. Plus, who doesn’t just love gingerbread!
Hey, it’s not Christmas until the Armadillo comes out! Or the pickle for that matter. 🙂 This kick is seriously awesome, Matt. Do make it for your sister for Christmas. Just wrap it up and put it under the tree! (Not sure if they sell this Bob’s Red Mill flour over there, but it is perfect for GF baking. It’s worth hunting it out!)
We actually had a pickle ornament that someone gave us. I haven’t seen it in years. I wonder if my mom still has it….I don’t have an armadillo though! This pound cake looks wonderful! You’ve made a lot of people really happy by making it gluten free! Well done!
Oh, you’ve totally got to go find that pickle ornament now, Kathy! I bet it’s hidden away…and you know the story. You’ll have good luck for the whole year if you find it! 🙂 This cake is seriously amazing. I can’t tell the difference between the gluten-free and ‘regular’ version…which is totally a good thing! Thank you, and Happy Holidays, my friend!
You are speaking my language, like always, David. I haven’t met a pound cake that I didn’t like and this Gluten Free Gingerbread pound cake is calling my name. I’m so tired of traveling for Christmas. Since I don’t have a husband or any kids my family expects me to travel to them every year. I put a stop to that this year, no more Holiday travel for me, I’m looking forward to skipping all the long lines, horrible food and travel delays.
Haha…you and me both, Mary! Pound cake and I are really good friends…even if our relationship is often short lived (oops). 🙂 Yes! I totally support you boycotting the holiday travel! I mean it is fun to go back home during the holidays…but you know what? We have new homes now, and it’s totally ok to curl up there and just hang out. Holiday travel (especially flying due to the snow…) is really pretty low on my list of favorite things.
Just reading about your Christmas memories makes me feel warm and happy inside! I am sure Robbie will have a fantastic Christmas at home, I think it is nice that you aren’t travelling. Funny that he does not like car rides 🙂 Never heard about the Christmas pickle – like the idea of an extra present and your Christmas Armadillo is adorable! We have some friends and family that eat gluten free so I am always looking for recipes. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free flour sounds like a great alternative to regular flour. Have a great week!
Why thank you so much, Miriam! Christmas really is about those warm and fuzzy memories, right? And it’s crazy to think that Robbie will soon be developing those memories. No pressure at all! Haha! 🙂 That Bob’s Red Mill GF flour is seriously amazing. Just sub it in 1-for-1 instead of all-purpose flour. I’ve used it on a number of occasions, and it’s worked well every time. Of course, I’m partial to this gingerbread pound cake right now. I seriously love gingerbread this time of the year!
Hi David,
Can this be baked in a loaf pan to be able to be cut up for a Gingerbread trifle?
Lori
Hey Lori! You could absolutely bake this in a loaf pan and then turn it into a gingerbread trifle…what a fun idea! I would still recommend baking this one at 350°F, but you might need to adjust the time slightly as the pan will be different. I would guess the time will be pretty similar, but I’d start checking it after ~45 minutes. You can always put the pan back in the oven to bake more, but there’s not much you can do if it burns! 🙂
If you end up making this trifle, will you come back and let me know how it turns out? That sounds delicious!!
Haha – David, too funny your dad used to make y’all wait while he set up his props! Betcha he was trying to give y’all a lesson in patience eh? When we were growing up, my folks wouldn’t let us open even one gift on Christmas eve – they would make us wait – till Christmas morn – sometimes till AFTER breakfast – talk about torture! Speaking of which – ooh, that poor team mate of yours! It sure must have been torture to watch and not touch the other treats you took in – he must have been super stoked when he saw this! The texture of it is spectacular – almost like a pound cake! I love Bob’s red mill 1to1 flour, I used to bake gluten free treats for Lil Shashi but don’t have to anymore though I still buy this flour!
Oh my gosh…waiting was the worst, Shashi! As little kids, we didn’t know if Santa had come overnight, so we were literally giddy with excitement. I can still remember peering down the stairs trying to see if Santa had come! Oh my gosh. Waiting until after breakfast?? And I thought waiting until Dad had his props set up was bad enough! I gotta say…this pound cake turned out quite well! I’ve made it both with all-purpose flour and Bob’s GF Flour…and I seriously can’t tell the difference. Now I’m kinda wishing I had stashed a piece of this one aside for me for Monday morning. Haha!
The icing drizzle on this cake is so pretty! I never liked gingerbread growing up, but it’s grown on me as an adult. I love that you share your baking creations with your teammates. Us foodies enjoy baking/cooking with love and sharing it with the people around us huh? 🙂 I did a ton of baking over the weekend, and I’ll be making some cookie plates to give to friends & neighbors this week!
Thank you so much, Nicole! I made sure to let the cake cool completely (and then made the icing thicker than normal) so I could drizzle it properly. It really is cool how we’ve met a community of foodies out here in our little corner of the internet. And I’ve picked up some really awesome recipes, tips and tricks from everyone along the way! I love how there’s always more to learn when it comes to cooking/baking/kitchen. It gets me entertained! Cheers to good friends and good food! 🙂
You know, I’ve suspected for years that holiday baking had an agenda. And now that I know what it is, let the gingerbread revolution begin!
Yes! The agenda has been revealed…and it’s a good one! Bring on all things gingerbread. Gingerbread seriously is my favorite holiday flavor! Well, gingerbread or eggnog. Or gingerbread with eggnog. It all counts. Thanks, Jeff!
Hi,
this sounds very delicious, anything else I can use instead of molasses? thanks
Hey there, Lily! Thank you so much for the kind note. 🙂 I’ve only ever used molasses, but I have heard that you can substitute in dark corn syrup, honey or maple syrup instead. But I should point out that the new cake wouldn’t necessarily be “gingerbread” anymore. I think maple syrup (the real stuff…not the stuff in squirt bottles!) would be a fun addition here, though…and it would be a pretty darned tasty cake!
Hi David,
Very kind of you to respond so quickly, I’ll give it ago with molasses this weekend and let you know,
I have Celiac dx and I appreciate a good GF recipe,
Do you have any good GF short-bread recipe?
Happy holidays darling,
My pleasure, Lily! If molasses is on the approved list, then I would definitely recommend using it for this cake! (Like I said, real maple syrup would be pretty fun, too…but I don’t know how much it would taste like gingerbread once all is said and done.)
As far as GF, I can’t say enough good stuff about that Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour. You just use it in place of all-purpose flour, and it works beautifully. I’ve used it in probably 1/2 dozen different recipes now, and I’ve yet to notice a difference! Now I say that as a preface to this shortbread cookie recipe: http://spicedblog.com/chocolate-dipped-shortbread-cookies.html I haven’t tried making these with that GF flour yet, but I can tell you 100% that this is one awesome shortbread recipe! Just make sure the other ingredients are all of the GF variety obviously. Oh, and make sure to use salted butter…it makes a huge difference in these cookies!! Happy holidays, my friend!
Thanks Darling, I am so happy that I have stumbled upon your website while surfing he net.
So if I use Red Mill I don’t need to ass Xanthan gum?
Thanks,
I’m glad you stumbled across my site as well, Lily! 🙂 As far as that flour, you can just substitute it as normal. Nice and easy! It’s already got Xanthan Gum mixed into the flour, so it’s done for you. (The flour itself is a blend of several other gluten-free flours.) Happy baking!!
Thank you, wish we could add the picture of our creations based on your recipe here.
Yeah that would be great to see a picture! Feel free to always email me at david (at) spicedblog.com though. 🙂 Thanks, Lily!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Looking forward to making it for a New Year’s party.
My pleasure, Cynthia! This is a really delicious pound cake…and I suspect it will go quickly at your New Year’s party. 🙂 Happy (early) New Year’s…and happy baking!
Thank you David! Happy New Year to you as well ☺
I made this bundt cake for thanksgiving and everybody who tried it absolutely loved it,, including myself. I did have to bake it longer because it stayed liquidy, but it might have been my oven. Making it longer didn’t matterThough. It
didn’t burn and was wonderful!!
I”m so glad you (and everyone else) enjoyed this cake, Mary Ann! It’s a delicious one, and we often make one of these every holiday season. Ovens can be a bit finicky for sure, but I’m glad this cake turned out well! Happy Holidays!