Gluten Free Vanilla Cake {Dairy-Free Too!}

This gluten free vanilla cake is as stunning as it is scrumptious! Whether you are looking for a beautiful gluten free cake for your next birthday party, celebration, or wedding cake base, this will be just what you need.

My daughter is very artistic and loves freehand art. She creates gorgeous mandala designs, and I am so excited she made a design for this cake. This cake was inspired by her desire to decorate it with a mandala.

No matter what, this gluten free cake is going to impress! I am happy to say this cake is also dairy-free! Just use dairy-free frosting if you can't have dairy.

If you love cake as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my gluten free cake recipes on the blog :-).

This cake was insane! I added a tiny, tiny splash of almond flavoring. Topped with granadilla syrup and a simple whipped cream concoction. It was the best gluten free cake I've had in a while!"

Tamra C., Pinterest user.

Why This Gluten Free Cake Is Great:

• 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!
• You can make this cake as a vanilla cake or a white cake. See the below FAQ for how to adapt this easy cake recipe to be a white cake.
• My cake turns out fluffy and light and full of pure vanilla flavor!
• Add thinly cut strawberries into the layers.

As I mentioned, this gluten free cake is perfect for a party, a wedding (though you will need to triple the recipe or more depending on the number of guests!), or any occasion.

I used these cute little-layered baking pans so that all my layers were the same size!

Don't you want to grab the fork and have a bite? A lot of people ask if it is hard to assemble a layer cake. I can promise it looks much harder than it is!

For wedding cake decorating inspiration, check out my Gluten Free Wedding Cake directions.

Top Pick

King Arthur, Measure for Measure Flour 3 lbs

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.)

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Ingredient Notes:

• Gluten Free Flour Blend - I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work; I have not tested other flours.
• Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
• Baking Powder - Use aluminum-free baking powder; it makes a difference in flavor.
• Light Oil - I like to use either avocado or canola oil. I don't recommend strong-flavored oils like olive oil.
• Milk - I use almond milk as my non-dairy milk to keep my cake dairy-free, but any plant-based milk will work.
• Eggs - Size large.
• Vanilla Extract - I recommend using pure vanilla extract to make this homemade cake in a cake where the flavor is important.
• Cream Cheese - Any brand will work; you can check for gluten-free cream cheese. If you are dairy-free, Kite Hill makes good dairy-free cream cheese.

Having the right Tools for Making Cake is also important.

Make It Vegan!

I'm a professional chef/baker and was looking for a Great gf/vegan cake for our special clients with special needs. I researched plenty through the years and I absolutely loved this recipe. I subbed BobsMill egg replacement and used lactose free half and half instead of milk, used half teaspoon salt and extra vanilla. It's simple to make and one of the best gf cakes I've had. I made sure not to over mix. Thanks for this recipe!!! I'm keeping it my rotation."

Laura, blog commentor

Tips For Success:

• Do not use a standing mixer to make this cake recipe! Your cake batter can get overmixed easily, and your cake will not turn out fluffy.
• Use pure vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla in this cake recipe. You will taste the difference!
• Periodically, check your oven temperature to make sure it's right. Otherwise, your cake and other baked goods will bake unevenly.

If you are an avid cake baker, check out this Gluten Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide. It is a great way to avoid any baking problems.

Tools For Making Cake

• Mixing Bowls
• Cake Pans

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Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Making a homemade gluten free vanilla cake is easy. Be sure to read all of my tips and instructions for the best results!

Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl. The best way to blend the flour is with a wire whisk to blend. (Also, preheat your oven to 350º F!)

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. To make a scale even trickier, every gluten free flour blend has a different weight.

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.

You can also 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 mixing bowl, add the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk. Whisk to blend the wet ingredients together.

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! Overmixing is really bad for gluten free cakes.

NOTE: If you are making a white cake, see the FAQ below for specific directions. They are a little different!

Step 3: Your gluten free cake batter will be creamy like in this photo. Scrape down the sides to get all of the batters for the cake.

Sometimes different gluten free flour blends behave differently depending on how much starch is in the mix. You may need to add a little extra liquid if your batter is too thick.

Step 4: Add the vanilla cake batter to your layer cake pans (cupcakes or sheet cake pan!) and bake. I baked the cakes for 20 minutes in these little layer cake pans. If you are using larger 9-inch cake pans, you will need to bake the cakes longer.

How do you know when the cake is finished baking?

1. The toothpick test is the most common. Stick a toothpick in the center of the cake and pull it back out. If it comes out clean and free of liquid, your cake is finished baking.
2. Another way to check is if the sides are pulling away from the pan, it is a good indicator that the cake is done.
3. You can also use your finger to check the texture of the cake. If you press down on the cake and it doesn’t bounce back up, it probably needs to cool a little longer.

Step 5: To make the gluten free cream cheese frosting, add softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and a bit of water to a bowl and mix well until thick and creamy.

Step 6: Decorate this gluten free vanilla cake any way you like! If you want to know what brands of sprinkles are gluten free and Celiac safe, check out my guide to gluten free sprinkles.

Ways to use this gluten free vanilla cake recipe:

• Make cupcakes with the batter. Perfect for holidays and other gatherings.
• You can make a sheet cake for a birthday party or any other event.
• Whip this recipe into cake pops for a fun spin.
• Make it a layered cake to add extra elegance to the cake.

Are you ready to see how easy this gluten free vanilla cake recipe is to make? And don't worry; I will also include the cream cheese frosting recipe!

Recipe FAQ:

If you love this easy gluten free vanilla cake, take a look at some of our favorite gluten free cake recipes:

• Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
• Mouthwatering Gluten Free French Apple Cake
• Gluten Free Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake
• Super Easy Gluten Free Lemon Cake

Gluten Free White Cake Instructions:

To make this gluten free vanilla cake a white cake, you will need to make a few easy adaptations.

1. Use only egg whites. Save your yolks for another recipe.
2. Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks (not stiff!) Add the rest of the wet ingredients and gently fold them into the egg whites.
3. You will need ½ cup more milk to make the cake a white cake.
4. If you want this cake to be pure white, use this clear vanilla extract.
5. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
6. Add to your cake pans and bake as directed.

More Gluten Free Dessert Ideas:

• Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
• Easy Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting
• Gluten Free Lemon Sour Cream Cakes
• Gluten Free Chocolate Raspberry Cake Recipe

Reader Adaptations:

• Jennifer M. used lemon juice instead of vanilla and a few drops of yellow food coloring to make this a lemon-flavored cake.
• Trinity M made this into a large sheet cake to feed a crowd!
• Julie S. used butter instead of oil, sour milk (buttermilk), and ¾ teaspoon of baking soda and said it turned out great.

📖 Recipe

Gluten Free Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sandi Gaertner

A deliciously light gluten free vanilla cake that is perfect for birthdays, weddings, or any party. This recipe can be made into cupcakes, sheet cake, or a layer cake. Homemade cream cheese frosting.

4.79 from 142 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Additional Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Gluten Free Dessert Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 14 slices

Calories 399 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cake:

• ▢ 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ ¾ cup light oil (*I used avocado oil)
• ▢ ¾ cup milk * see note
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Frosting

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese * see note
• ▢ ¼ cup butter softened
• ▢ 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pur vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350º F.
• In a large bowl, add the dry cake ingredients and use a whisk to blend.
• In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients and 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. Use the toothpick method described below to know when your cakes are done.)
• 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.
• 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 cream cheese, butter, 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

1. 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. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
2. If your gluten free flour blend doesn't contain Xanthan Gum, add 1 teaspoon.
3. I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
4. 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 use vegan cream cheese.
5. 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.
6. This cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.

To Make This a White Cake:

1. Use only egg whites. Save your yolks for another recipe.
2. Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks (not stiff!) Add the rest of the wet ingredients in and gently fold them into the egg whites.
3. You will need ½ cup more milk to make the cake a white cake.
4. If you want this cake pure white, use this clear vanilla extract.
5. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
6. Add to your cake pans and bake as directed.

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

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 399kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 4gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 122mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 2gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 391IUCalcium: 74mgIron: 1mg

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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.