Cameroonian (Gluten Free) Pound Cake
Christmas is a season when families gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s the time of the year in many Cameroonian homes when delicious dishes like Jellof/Jollof Rice, roasted chicken and tomato stew are on the menu and served in mom’s best chafing dishes. It was also the time in my childhood when I developed a passion for baking.
My hometown, Limbe (a coastal city in the Southwest Region of Cameroon), was greatly influenced by Western colonial culture. British colonials planted schools in Limbe that were invested in teaching women domestic science. In our Home Economics and Food and Nutrition courses, pound cake was the recipe most commonly used to teach the fundamentals of baking. My friends and I would save money during the year just to buy ingredients to bake pound cake for Christmas and test our skills. We would then bake more pound cake, chin chin and scones and sold them to raise more money. By now, I’m sure our little business venture would have been worth billions!
You may be wondering, what about pound cake is Cameroonian? It’s all about the weight and texture. Cameroonian-made baked goods tend to lean towards textures that are either thick or crunchy- for example, Banana Bread/Cake or Chin Chin. That’s why most of the cakes made in Cameroon can be interchangeably cake or bread. It’s dense, delectable, and decadent.
When I came to the U.S, my baking knowledge was delightfully challenged. I continued to experiment with new baking techniques, like gluten free flours and using cream cheese as an icing. Realising the huge difference between ingredients here and in Cameroon, I wanted to explore how I could still indulge in my favorite sweet treat in a healthier way. Thus, this gluten free pound cake recipe was born- a tantalizing treat that seems to combine the story of my African roots and my new home, America. Bake along with me as I show you how to make this Cameroonian (Gluten Free) Pound Cake with a touch of an American dessert favorite; Cream cheese icing.
G L U T E N F R E E P O U N D C A K E
Ingredients
5 Large eggs
4 Packets of Cream Cheese
3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Canned Peak Milk
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
1/4 Tablespoon Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Cream Cheese Extract (Optional)
How to Make Cream Cheese Icing
Pour the cream cheese and powdered sugar into the cake mixer and cream together until the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy.
Add the cream cheese extract and then mix to combine.
Pour the cream into a bowl and place it in the refrigerator for later use.
How to Make Cameroonian Pound Cake
Note: Duplicate recipe to get four sheets of cakes as in the video
1. Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease the inside of two 9in x 12in cake pan with butter and set aside.
3. Pour the butter and sugar into the cake mixer and cream together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Mix butter and sugar until fluffy.
4. Break the eggs and carefully separate the yolk from the white. Pour the yolks and the white in separate bowls set aside.
5. Add the egg yolks and mix well then add the milk and mix until it’s well combined.
6. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in a clean bowl and then gradually add it into the mixture while mixing at the same time. Add the vanilla extract and mix well to combine.
7. Pour the egg white into a clean bowl and use a hand mixer to whip the egg white until it forms into stiff peaks.
8. Gradually add in the whisked egg white into the cake batter and gently fold it into the mixture. Careful not to over mix the batter.
9. Check if the cake batter is well aerated by scoping about a ¼ teaspoon of the batter and drop it into the bowl of clean water at room temperature. A well aerated batter will float on the surface of the water. If the batter sinks, continue mixing the batter and test again until it floats.
10. Pour the cake batter into the cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes until the cake is golden brown or a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.
11. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool at room temperature.
12. Ice the cake by filling each layer with the cream cheese until all four layers are completed then apply the cream cheese on the sides of the cake.
Ice pound cake with cream cheese icing.
13. Slice the cake and serve a piece to your family and enjoy the yumminess and the joy of Christmas.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Merry Christmas from Keng’s Kitchen!
