This gluten-free vanilla cake bakes up soft and fluffy with delicious classic vanilla flavor. Everyone will think this cake came from a fancy bakery. It slices cleanly, holds its shape well for layering, and works beautifully with buttercream and other frostings. The recipe is dairy-free, easy to make, and tried-and-true for your birthdays, weddings, or everyday celebrations.
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❤️ Sandi’s Summary
1. This cake is special. It is perfect for a birthday and fancy enough to be a wedding cake! This is my family’s favorite cake for any party!
2. My cake is fluffy, light, and has a pure vanilla flavor! It tastes like it came from an expensive bakery!
3. You can make this as a classic vanilla cake or adapt it into a white cake.
4. The cream cheese frosting adds a tangy twist that balances the cake’s sweetness.
5. Use this cake recipe to make gluten-free cake pops for a fun spin.
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If you are looking for a foolproof gluten-free vanilla cake recipe that delivers incredible flavor and texture, this is it. It has been tested with multiple flour blends and dairy-free ingredients, and readers love how easily it comes together.
I often make this cake for family birthday parties. Sometimes I frost it, other times I add a nice dusting of powdered sugar. It is a versatile cake recipe that will be a big hit for your family celebrations.
I have a lot of easy gluten-free cake recipes on the blog. You are sure to find some new favorites. If you prefer a chocolate cake for your celebration, this is an incredible Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake that is moist and full of rich chocolate flavor.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – Tested with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF blend. Both work well to create a soft, moist crumb. Readers have also used President’s Choice GF Blend and Namaste successfully. Always spoon and level flour, or check out my guide on measuring gluten-free flour correctly.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend does not contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon to ensure proper structure.
- Baking Powder – Use aluminum-free baking powder; it makes a difference in flavor.
- Light Oil – Avocado or canola oil works best. Avoid olive oil or other strong-flavored oils.
- Milk – I use almond milk as my non-dairy milk to keep my cake dairy-free, but any plant-based milk will work.
- Eggs – Use size large. For an egg-free version, Bobb’s Red Mill Egg Replacer has been successful (see reader feedback above).
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Cream Cheese – For dairy-free, Kite Hill cream cheese is a great option.
Tips for a Moist, Fluffy Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake:
- Do not overmix: Mix the batter until it is just combined to avoid a dense texture.
- Avoid a stand mixer: It can easily overmix your batter.
- Use room temperature ingredients: This helps everything blend more evenly.
- Use pure vanilla: It makes a huge flavor difference in a vanilla-forward recipe.
For more cake troubleshooting help and tips, see my Gluten-Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide. Also, having the right Tools for Making Cake makes making gluten-free cake easier.
A Note From My Kitchen
When I first started baking gluten-free, I remember how discouraging it felt when cakes turned out gummy or dense. This vanilla cake recipe is the one I kept coming back to while I tested different flours; it just works. My biggest advice? Be gentle with the batter. Overmixing is one of the easiest ways to lose that soft, fluffy texture, especially when using gluten-free flour blends.
How to Make a Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. A wire whisk helps distribute everything evenly.
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Step 2: In a smaller
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the two are barely mixed. This is the secret to getting the fluffiest cake!
Step 4: The batter will be creamy. Scrape down the sides to make sure everything is incorporated.
Step 5: Divide the batter into greased cake pans (I love using Wilton’s layer cake pans for even layers).
Step 6: Bake according to the pan size. Do not open the oven door early, or your cake may sink. When they are done baking, let the cakes cool in their pans for 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: Make the frosting and mix well until thick and creamy.
🔑 Sandi says: If you want to know what brands of sprinkles are gluten-free and celiac-safe, check out my guide to gluten-free sprinkles. If you want to use a colored, flavored, or buttercream frosting with this cake recipe, my Gluten-Free Frosting recipe includes lots of different flavors and colors of frosting you can make.
Reader Modifications:
Jennifer M. – Swapped vanilla for lemon juice + yellow food coloring for a lemon version.
Julie S. – Used butter instead of oil and added 3/4 tsp baking soda with sour milk.
Sophia – Turned it into a pink strawberry cake with strawberry Jello and almond extract.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! Use Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer, dairy-free milk, and cream cheese.
The secret to keeping this gluten free cake moist is not to overmix the cake batter. Mix the batter until the ingredients are just barely mixed to keep it moist and fluffy.
Layer cake rounds with frosting in between. Use a spatula to smooth each layer as you build. Chill slightly before final decorating for best results.
It may be underbaked, or the oven door was opened too soon.
It was either overmixed or did not have enough moisture for your specific flour blend.
This gluten-free vanilla cake will stay in an airtight container for up to 4 days or 4 months in the freezer.
Gluten-Free White Cake Instructions:
To make this gluten-free vanilla cake a white cake, you must make a few easy adaptations.
- Use egg whites only (save the yolks for another recipe).
- Whip egg whites to soft peaks, then fold in wet ingredients.
- You will need 1/2 cup more milk to make the cake a white cake.
- If you want this cake to be pure white, use this clear vanilla extract.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Add to your cake pans and bake as directed.
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💬 Did you make this gluten-free vanilla cake recipe? Let me know how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you could please include which flour blend you used, this will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder aluminum-free
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup light oil (*I used avocado oil)
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk * see note
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese * see note
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups gluten free flour blend, 1 cup cane sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and use a whisk to blend.
- In a smaller bowl, add 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup light oil, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, and 3/4 cup non-dairy milk. Use a wire whisk to mix.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Note photo above of the batter consistency.
- Spoon batter into greased cake pans, or cupcake pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes (for the small layer cake pans). You will want to bake longer for larger pans.
- 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 needs to bake longer
- Remove the cake layers from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. If you are making a layer cake, inspect each layer for bumps (if one area of the cake rose more.)
- Use a knife to level any bumps to make your cake layers flat. Do not ice the cake until it has fully cooled.
- Place the bottom layer of cake on a cake stand. Add frosting to the top of the layer. Place the next cake layer on top of the frosting, and frost that layer. Repeat until all layers are frosted.
- To make the gluten free cream cheese frosting, add softened 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, and a bit of water to a bowl and mix well until thick and creamy.
- Use a cake spatula to frost the top and sides of the cake. Decorate how you like.
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. Other blends will work, but you may need to tweak the moisture levels depending on the blend.
- If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum, add 3/4 teaspoon.
- I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work. I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- The cake is naturally dairy-free. To make this fully dairy-free, you need to alter the frosting ingredients by substituting the butter for vegan butter and using vegan cream cheese.
- This cake will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- See my Gluten-Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide for more tips and any troubleshooting issues.
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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, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
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.
Gluten-Free Related Reading
Gluten-free baking is like a science experiment. There are so many things you need to understand the different components of baking without gluten. My Gluten-Free Resources Section is here to help teach you the tools you need to know to become a confident gluten free baker.
My Best Gluten-Free Baking Tips For Better Baking!
Why Binders Are Important In Gluten-Free Baking
The Best Gluten Free Flour Blends – And how to use them!
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
I just made this cake for my mother’s 90th birthday party. It was an 8″ layer cake. It came out SO amazing, and everyone loved it (many went back for seconds!). I followed the recipe exactly, used Bob’s Red Mill, almond milk, canola oil, did not overmix, and let the batter sit for about 20 mins. in the bowl. But then I also let it sit again in the pans about 10 mins before putting in oven. No graininess at all! And it was not very dense like a lot of GF cakes usually come out (I don’t like dense/heavy cakes). Nobody knew it was gluten-free! I used buttercream icing on it. Delicious!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Made this Cake for my Birthday.
It turned out fabulous!.Got rave reviews from my non celiac( regular gluten eating family).
Soft,fluffy & moist..not dense at all.
The next day it still tasted fresh like the previous day.I followed all the directions except..I let the batter rest 15 minutes in the bowl to hydrate.I used King Arthur1:1 gf flour..Greased a 9×13 pan and baked @ 350° for 30 minutes.
next time I am going to reduce the temp to 335°. I used canola oil.Perfectly sweet .
I am excited to offer this to all my customers! Thank you Sandi for a wonderful recipe!!
Happy Birthday!! I am so glad you enjoyed my cake recipe on your special day!! Thank you for coming back to leave a review.