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.
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My daughter is very artistic and loves to 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.
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
As I mentioned before, 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 of 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.
What you need to make this recipe:
- 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 just 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 milk will work.
- Eggs - Size large.
- Vanilla Extract - In a cake where the vanilla flavor is important, I really recommend that you use pure vanilla extract to make this homemade cake.
- Cream Cheese - Any brand will work, you can check to see what cream cheese is gluten free. If you are dairy-free, Kite Hill makes a good dairy-free cream cheese.
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 flours 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
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the two are just barely mixed. This is the secret to getting the fluffiest cake! Overmixing is really bad for gluten free cakes.
Do not use a standing mixer to make this cake recipe! Your cake batter can get overmixed very easily and your cake will not turn out fluffy.
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 batter 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 (or cupcakes or sheet cake pan!) and bake. For these little layer cake pans, I baked the cakes for 20 minutes. If you are using larger 9-inch cake pans, you will need to bake the cakes 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 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 include the cream cheese frosting recipe too!
Expert tips and Recipe FAQ:
While there are many different gluten free flour options for sale, I have a few gluten free flour blends that I regularly use in this recipe. I like Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend.
There are several ways to tell if a cake is done baking. You can try all the methods or just use the ones that work for you.
1. The toothpick test is the most common. Just stick a toothpick in the center of the cake and pull it back out. If it comes out clean and free of liquid, then your cake is done.
2. Another way to check is if the sides are pulling away from the pan then it is a good indicator 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 right back up, then it probably needs to cool a little longer.
To assemble a layer cake, you must first add the base layer to your plate or cake stand. Next, add a layer of frosting on top of the base layer and spread it around.
Next, you add another layer of cake, then another layer of frosting. You keep adding layers until you have used all of them. After all your layers are together, then you can continue to frost and decorate the cake.
The easiest way to lift a layer of cake onto a cake stand is by using a giant spatula. Simply place the spatula under the cake and raise it. You will want to make sure to hold the cake with your other hand to ensure you don’t lose balance.
This gluten free vanilla cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
The secret to keeping this gluten free cake moist is to not overmix the cake batter. Mix the batter until the ingredients are just barely mixed to keep it moist and fluffy.
Use this gluten free vanilla cake recipe and follow the directions. If you don't make untested substitutions, your cake will turn out delicious.
Gluten Free White Cake Instructions:
To make this gluten free vanilla cake a white cake, you will need to make a few easy adaptations.
- Use only egg whites. Save your yolks for another recipe.
- 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.
- You will need ½ cup more milk to make the cake a white cake.
- If you want this cake 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.
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
Or check out my gluten free vanilla cake story!
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 and sour milk (buttermilk) And ¾ teaspoon baking soda and said it turned out great.
Tools:
- Cake Stand to make decorating so much easier!
- Sprinkles that are gluten free.
Recipe
Gluten Free Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
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.
- 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. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn't contain Xanthan Gum, add 1 teaspoon.
- I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but 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 use vegan cream cheese.
- 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.
- 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:
- Use only egg whites. Save your yolks for another recipe.
- 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.
- You will need ½ cup more milk to make the cake a white cake.
- If you want this cake 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.
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.
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This post was updated from an older June 2015 post with more details and easier-to-follow directions.
Lizzie
The size pans you use are specialty 6” pans and very shallow. What size regular cake pans would this fit? Also - your instructions simply say to double or triple the recipe for larger cakes, but you give no indication of how many or what size cake pans each would accommodate, nor the exact baking times needed for different size pans. This would all be very helpful information to know! 🙂
I am sitting here debating about trying this because I need a cake for tomorrow but I have no idea how much batter this recipe makes and whether it will work in my 9” round cake pans from a single recipe or if it needs to be doubled! (I am not trying to be rude, it’s just that this recipe didn’t include information about making it in regular size pans, which is what most people have!) if you could add some additional info about these things into your recipe, that would be very helpful because it looks wonderful and I would really like to be able to make it without having to guess how much batter to make! 😂
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Lizzie, I have not made this cake any other way except in these smaller layer pans, so I can only guesstimate for you. Developing a recipe is costly so once it is perfect, I don't make it multiple other times to test pan size. This recipe uses 2 cups of flour, so it would probably fill a 9-inch cake pan pretty full. If you are making a larger layer cake, I would double the recipe.
Yuri Garciap
Loved this!! I used the 6 Wilton pans 0.75 in high (bought on Amazon) and did a small layer cake. I used almond milk and it was perfect!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved this recipe Yuri. I appreciate your coming back to let me know!
Kaitlyn
How long do you bake and at what temp for cupcakes?! Thanks!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Kaitlyn, Same temperature 350º F. I recommend baking for 20-25 minutes depending on how deep you fill the cupcake tins.
Carol Rhoads
Sandi- what size cake pans did you use? You said they are small; did you double the recipe to get four layers?
Thanks, can’t wait to try!
Carol
Sandi Gaertner
I link the cake pans I used close to the top of the recipe, right under the third photo. They are 6 inches in diameter.
Jackie Mitchell
Hi there , I would love to make this cake but I live in the UK and I don’t have cup measurements so could you possibly covert them to pounds and ounces for me that would be great thank you 👍😀
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Jackie, you would want to use a metric converter. If you put that into Google, it will pull one for you.
Mike
Can this cake work with just egg whites, so that it is truly a white cake?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Mike, I haven't tested it with just egg whites, but I suspect it would be fine. I think the yolks in the eggs I used were very pale.
Suwaiba Idris
Can i use sunflower oil
Sandi Gaertner
I have not used sunflower oil, so I can only guess it will be fine to use.