Third time’s the charm? Not in my experience. It’s more like the 27th time. Maybe the 17th if I’m lucky. And by then, well, it’s not so charming. Whatever “it” is.
Once in awhile though, I get lucky. Or maybe it’s just my time. The universe decides it’s time for a little encouragement, time to dangle a little proverbial carrot of “aha” just when I had become absolutely certain the world was just one big “sorry, try again next time.”
Such was (is?) the case with my Patriotic Pound Cake, so named because it was born on Memorial Day weekend. This cake was my very first foray into de-gluten-ifying a standard recipe, making some tweaks to make it my own and hopefully make it delicious in the process. It would be, I remember thinking at the time, a learning process. THAT was the important part. If it were edible, great, then I’d know I was on the right track. If not, well, ditto, honestly.
What resulted was a crumbly, sweet, almost creamy-tasting, firm but soft bit of light yellow deliciousness. I was shocked. My favorite taste tester said it was delicious. I figured two things: #1 – he was lying at worst, exaggerating at best; #2 – the only reason I thought it was good was because I had expected it to be terrible. Both of our perspectives were off, I was sure. Though, he was kind/brave/stupid enough to post this recipe as part of a food blog! I remember being flattered and horrified. It must have at least been okay….but surely it could be lots better. I could not have nailed it on the first try. Impossible. Baking is SCIENCE. You don’t just make an experimental grouping of substitutions based on your experience of how ingredients act and actually get it right when you’re a sometime home baker. Just doesn’t happen.
So I never made it again. I’ve made many other cake recipes since then, improved upon my recipe-tweaking skills, even developed what I jokingly call my “proprietary blend” of non-grain flours that will work as a great substitute almost any time 1 ¾ cups of regular flour is called for. I had gotten way beyond that first, childish attempt at a pound cake. I was too good for that recipe.
So, the first few times when my favorite recipe tester asked when I was going to make it again, I sort of just ignored him. Mumbled something about it not really being good; its ingredients were sub par; it would never turn out a second time. Finally, one time, it occurred to me that maybe he really did like it and did want to have it again, just like he said. I like to make things that make other people happy, so I figured I’d try it. I also figured I’d have to change it, make it better.
So I peered at the recipe. Looked okay, nothing crazy. I vowed that I would make it this one time without changing it. I would follow my own recipe and see what happened…mostly, in my mind, to prove that it had been a fluke, that the recipe was truly not that good.
So I followed it, with 2 changes: I added guar gum, which I had not had at the time, but which I would have used if I had had it. So that wasn’t a true change – I stayed true to the spirit of the recipe. The second change is significant: I melted the butter and folded it in last, after blending the wet and dry ingredients. I have found this mixing method to work extremely well with gluten free baking because ALL of the flour gets coated with the fats rather than simply being mostly emulsified. Creaming butter and sugar can work, but when coconut flour is being used, it is not the best method, in this amateur’s opinion.
This time, I was baking for an audience other than my favorite taste tester and myself (again, he was crazy enough to select THIS cake to be given to others, untested, unproven!), so I made mini-muffins. Once again, I was sure they’d be dry or fall apart or something disastrous. My first original recipe just couldn’t work a second time. That just doesn’t happen. I never get things right the first try.
The mini muffin cupcake things came out great. They were truly delicious. I was, of course, shocked.
I made that recipe one more time a few days later, daring it to work again.
And it did.
There is a lesson here. Try as you might to prove to yourself otherwise, once in awhile, you just might nail it the first time. And when you do, go ahead and do the same thing again, and ENJOY it the second time. And the third. I promise it’s okay.
Here is the recipe. If you try it, please tell me. If it doesn’t come out, that’s okay too. But I think it will.
Patriotic Pound Cake
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x5” loaf pan with butter or shortening. I like shortening because it imparts no flavor.
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup rice flour
1 stick plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Scant cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp single acting baking powder
1 tsp guar gum
1 tsp guar gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes in a buttered loaf pan on the middle rack.
I always melt the butter as I’m gathering the dry ingredients so it has time to cool. On the stovetop, melt over low heat until there is just a little stick of solid butter remaining, then remove from heat and it’ll all melt then cool down a bit. In the microwave, set the oven for 45 seconds and watch it the entire time – stop the oven when you have just a small piece left unmelted.
Blend dry ingredients in one medium-large bowl, including the sugar. Whisk the eggs, cream, and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour the DRY into the WET and whisk until just combined. Then fold in the butter in 2 or 3 additions. The batter might appear to curdle, but just keep folding and you’ll end up with a nice creamy batter, perhaps a bit thicker than regular pound cake. If batter is extremely thick or gluey - add more liquid, 1 tbsp at a time of cream and/or melted butter.
Scoop your batter into your prepared pan and bake for 35-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Your creation is done when it springs back when gently pressed.
Happy baking!
-S
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