If you are looking for a delicious cake to serve for the holidays, this delicious gluten free cranberry pound cake is guest-worthy! Top it with a white chocolate drizzle. It is moist and delicious, and everyone will love the flavor!
I am so excited about this gluten free cranberry cake recipe! It screams winter flavors. With sweet-tart cranberries blended with lime and white chocolate, the flavor is out of this world good!
This delicious cake is based on my popular Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake recipe. It is perfect to serve all winter long but especially delicious for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We are cake fanatics. If you love cake too, check out all of my easy gluten free cake recipes.
Why this cake is awesome:
- This cake is easy to make with just a few ingredients!
- There is something magical about cranberry, lime, and white chocolate flavors when they are together.
- You can use the cake batter to make a gluten free cranberry loaf cake or bake it in a bundt pan to make a cranberry bundt cake!
- This cake freezes well, so you can have cake today and next week!
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient notes:
- Gluten free flour blend – I tested this recipe using King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I have not tested other flours, and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Butter – To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- Cranberries – Note cranberries are only in season for a short time. Cranberry season is typically October through December. If you can’t find them in your store, substitute fresh blueberries.
- Non-dairy milk – I used almond milk, but other dairy-free milk will work. I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- White chocolate – Most brands are gluten free. If you are dairy-free, be sure to use dairy-free white chocolate like the one from the Enjoy Life brand.
If you love banana bread, try this gluten free banana cranberry bread, too.
How to make this gluten free cranberry pound cake:
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Add the fresh cranberries.
To measure your gluten free flour, I recommend using the spoon method or leveling method. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale.
Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix the cake batter until it is just barely mixed. If you over-mix your batter, your cake will turn out denser.
HINT: Do not use a standing mixer for this cake recipe. A standing mixer will overmix the batter quickly.
Step 4: This photo shows you what your batter should look like.
Step 5: Add the batter to a greased loaf, bundt, or cake pan. Use a spoon to spread the cake batter evenly.
Step 6: Bake at 350º F for 25-30 minutes. If you are baking it in a bundt cake pan, it will need longer to bake.
To test to see if the cake is finished baking, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake must be baked longer.
Step 7: When the cake is cool, melt white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe dish. I do this at 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval. This will prevent your white chocolate from burning.
Drizzle the white chocolate over the cake and top with chopped dried cranberries.
If you love the white chocolate in this easy gluten free cranberry cake recipe, you will also love my Gluten Free White Chocolate Brownies recipe!
Variations:
There are some fun ways to vary this gluten-free cranberry cake recipe. Here are a few ideas:
- Replace the lime zest with orange zest to make a cranberry orange cake.
- Add white chocolate chips to the cake batter. There is something magical when you combine fresh cranberry, lime, and white chocolate flavors together!
- Add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to the batter!
- Try this easy Gluten Free Cranberry Bundt Cake recipe.
How to store this cake:
Store this gluten free cranberry cake in an air-tight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this cake easily by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then in foil. Pop the wrapped cake into a freezer-safe zip bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.
If you love cake as much as I do, you will want to check out all of my delicious Gluten Free Cake Recipes on the blog.
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
You will get the best flavor for the cake by using fresh cranberries. Dried cranberries are not soft and tart and will change the texture and taste of the cake.
You can easily make this cake dairy-free with vegan butter and dairy-free white chocolate.
Cranberries are tough to find most of the year. I recommend substituting them for blueberries if it isn’t cranberry season.
More gluten free cranberry desserts:
- Gluten Free Cranberry Streusel Muffins
- Easy Gluten Free Cranberry Bread
- The Best Gluten Free Cranberry Shortbread Bars
- Gluten Free Cranberry Macadamia Cookies
- Gluten Free Cranberry Coffee Cake
Gluten Free Cranberry Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries * see note
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 2 eggs size large
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup almond milk * see note
For Garnish Topping
- ⅓ cup white chocolate
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Add the fresh cranberries.
- In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients, and whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix the cake batter until it is just barely mixed. If you over-mix your batter, your cake will turn out denser.
- Add the batter to a greased loaf, bundt, or cake pan. Use a spoon to spread the cake batter evenly.
- Bake at 350º F for 25-30 minutes. If you are baking it in a bundt cake pan, it will need longer to bake.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake need to bake longer.
- When the cake is cool, melt white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe dish. I do this at 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval. This will prevent your white chocolate from burning. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cake and top with chopped dried cranberries.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours in this recipe. If you use a different gluten free flour blend, you may need to adjust your moisture levels because not all blends absorb the same amount of liquid.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Please use fresh cranberries. If you can’t find them, you can substitute fresh blueberries. Dried cranberries will alter the flavor and texture of this cake.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- This cake will keep for up to 3 days in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Sandi,
Thank you for the reply, very helpful! I am using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 all purpose gluten free baking flour. Do you think I need to adjust anything?
Hi Elizabeth, you shouldn’t need to adjust anything, unless you live in a really humid area. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes so the rice flour softens in the batter. This will help eliminate grit.
Can I use your gluten free flour recipe when making this loaf? Thank you.
Hi Sheryl, I have not tested this specific cake recipe, but my flour worked really well in my gluten free lemon layer cake recipe so far. I assume my blend would work in this recipe.
Should the butter be softened, cold, melted? I did this recipe with softened and I am concerned as the batter does not look like your photos. 🙁
Mine is softened, partially melted. What flour blend are you using? Some need more flour and others more liquid. Every blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio, which affects the batter moisture.
This cake is delicious, and I would give it 5 stars except that it says it takes 25-30 minutes, but it took over an hour and ten minutes for mine to not have wet batter on the toothpick. I followed the recipe exactly, baked at 350 in a loaf pan. I bake a lot and my oven is accurate as far as temperature goes. I’ve never had to adjust baking time as much as this before.
I am so glad you loved the cake. That is interesting it took a lot longer to bake. I am glad you baked it longer. Which gluten free flour blend did you use? I am wondering if that could be why it needed longer, if it had a high starch content?
Sandi,
I have a bag of frozen whole cranberries….do you think they would work?
Hi Laura, They should work but I advise you to thaw and drain the excess liquid before using them.