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Gluten-Free, Low-Fat Buttermilk Pound Cake
================================= makes one large bundt or tube cake
 
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Copyright 1995, Andrea Karen Frankel.   All commercial rights
reserved.  Permission granted to copy and distribute at no charge,
provided this copyright is included intact and the recipes are not
modified.
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This cake won first prize at the 1995 Nevada County (CA) Fair, in the
Very Low Fat Baked Goods division, Cakes: Heavy Textured class.
It is one of those "are you SURE there isn't wheat in this?" recipes,
and one of my husband's favorites (after apple pie and pear crisp, that
is!).
 
I derived the recipe from one in the May/June 1994 "Eating Well" magazine,
which is where the trick with the pear butter comes from.  The pear
butter does not assert its flavor like applesauce, pureed plums, or
other fat substitutes do.  The technique of making beurre noisette
(browned butter) allows a small amount of butter to contribute large
amounts of flavor.
 
Ingredients:
 
2 16-oz cans pear halves (in juice or light syrup), drained
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp vegetable or nut oil (I like almond for this)
 
2.5 cups GF Gourmet flour mix (white or brown)
1 c soy flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
.5 tsp baking soda
 
1.75 cups sugar or 1.25 cups fructose, divided use
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp GF vanilla extract
grated zest of one lemon
1 tsp GF almond extract
2 large eggs, separated
2 large egg whites
 
1.  Prep (can be done beforehand):  Puree pears in food processor or
blender.  Transfer to medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring
almost constantly, until reduced to about one cup (anywhere from 10 to 40
minutes).  Allow to cool completely.  If making ahead, store covered in
fridge.
 
Melt butter over medium heat, in small saucepan or skillet where you
will be able to see the color change.  Cook, swirling pan, until the
butter turns a light, nutty brown, about 60 seconds.  (Once you've done
this, you can also tell by smell when it first "turns".  Pour into a
teacup where you have measured the vegetable oil, stir and set aside.
 
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly oil or spray with pan spray
a 10" tube pan or large bundt pan.  Dust with rice flour or GF flour mix,
and shake out excess.  (I have a heavy, non-stick bundt pan that works
great with this recipe, but I still spray and dust to make sure the
cake slides out whole.)
 
3.  Sift flours, salt, and leavenings together into medium bowl; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix pear puree, butter-oil mixture, 1.5 cups of sugar
(=1 cup fructose), buttermilk, extracts, lemon zest, and egg yolks;
whisk until smooth.
 
4.  In clean mixing bowl and with clean beaters, beat the 4 egg whites
until soft peaks form.  While continuing to beat on high, slowly add
the remaining .25 cup sugar or fructose and beat until stiff, but not
dry peaks form.
 
5.  With a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the
pear puree mixture alternately with the beaten whites, making three
additions of the dry and two of the whites.  Turn batter into pan,
and bake 40-45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.  Let
cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.  (Hint:
if you can't resist and attack this cake while still warm, it will
not have the dense texture of a real pound cake!)
 
This cake is fine as-is, or can be dressed up with a sprinkling of
confectioner's sugar, melted lemon marmalade brushed on the top,
or a light lemony icing.  But my all-time favorite is to use the
slices for strawberry shortcake!
 
Substitution note:  I have not tried replacing the buttermilk in this
recipe, but if you do, be sure to add something acidic like a Tbsp
of lemon juice or rice vinegar so the reaction with the baking soda
will work.