The impossibly light, moist and tender crumb of this cake makes it (yes, really) the very best gluten free vanilla cake you've ever had.
This cake is so light and airy, it proves, once and for all, that gluten free baked goods can be just as good, if not better, than conventional gluten cakes.
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What makes this the best gluten free vanilla cake recipe?
It may be bold, but this cake isn't just the best gluten free vanilla cake. It's the cake that you serve to people who can eat as much gluten as they want, and they ask if they can make it at home with their conventional flour.
I tell them that they can have the recipe, since it's right here on the blog. But they can't make this cake without our gluten free all purpose flour. They have their recipes; leave us ours.
Please realize you must use one of my recommended all purpose gluten free flour blends for this recipe to work. Please click through for complete information on brands (usually, Better Batter or Cup4Cup), my “mock” recipes to make those blends yourself at home, and information on why they work and why others don't.
The secret to gluten free cake success
The secret to the very best vanilla cake recipe, gluten free, is in the balance of ingredients at the proper temperature—and in the method. Read the recipe through carefully first, follow it closely, and you'll know you can make a vanilla cake, gluten free, with an open crumb and tons of delicate flavor any time. If you'd like to save on time, combine the dry ingredients in step 2 in the recipe below in a sealed container for a sort of dry cake mix to make later.
The most important parts of the method are using one of my recommended gf flour blends, sifting it well, and beating the butter and sugar together until they're light and fluffy. And your ingredients must be at room temperature before you begin, or they won't combine properly no matter what you do.
For more general tips before you begin to assemble your ingredients for this amazing, tender gluten free cake, try reading our beginner's guide to gluten free baking. For a desserts overview, including a guide to the top 20 recipes on the blog, our gluten free desserts guide.
You may notice some negative reviews sprinkled in among the positive ones commenting on this recipe. They were left by people who used the wrong gf flour blend, didn't measure by weight, didn't sift, didn't combine the dry and wet ingredients separately first, beat the butter and sugar for long enough, etc.
In other words, they didn't follow the recipe as written! I wish it were as simple to make a perfect gluten free vanilla cake as it is to make, say, a one bowl gluten free banana bread.
I can only tell it like it is—and happily I can guide you through each step toward complete recipe success. It's all worth it!
Simple pantry ingredients for a yummy gluten free cake
This cake doesn't call for super specialized ingredients; instead you'll only need classic gluten free pantry ingredients. It's made with basic vanilla cake ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.
Unlike our one bowl gluten free chocolate cake, to get the best vanilla cake you’re going to have sift the dry ingredients. Yes, you really do have to if you want that super tender, non-grainy crumb.
Then, beat the heck out of the butter and sugar before you even think about adding anything else. A stand mixer is great, but a handheld mixer works just as well provided you’re willing to stand there, beating and beating for at least 3 minutes.
Choosing cake pans for this easy gluten free vanilla cake
I like to bake these cakes in 2 aluminum 8-inch round cake pans to make a layer cake They bake evenly in about 30 minutes at 350°F, and never dome even if my oven has some hot spots (which all ovens do).
If you'd rather bake the cake in 9-inch cake pans, just reduce the baking time accordingly. You'll have to watch it carefully after the initial 20 minutes. And your layer cake will be wider, and a bit less tall.
Don't bake in a dark colored pan or in a glass pan. They attract and conduct too much heat, so your cake may burn on the bottom or the edges before it's baked all the way through to the center.
If you'd like, you can also use 8-inch square pans. The baking time should be the same as with 8-inch round cake pans.
Choosing the right gluten free flour blend for a perfect vanilla cake
I'm partial to Better Batter gluten free flour's original blend for nearly all of my gluten free recipes. If you can't buy it online, you can always use my mock Better Batter blend recipe to make your own.
If you are using a higher starch all purpose gluten free flour blend like Cup4Cup (or my mock Cup4Cup), replace the cornstarch in this recipe with an additional 54 grams of your flour blend.
Do not try to make this recipe using one of the lower-quality flour blends that use gritty, poor quality rice flour. Bob's Red Mill is a particularly bad one, and your cake ingredients won't combine properly—and your cake will taste gritty.
I can't stress this enough. I want you to be successful! This cake may be a bit of a diva, but she's 100% worth it!
Deciding on a frosting for your gluten free vanilla cake
I usually frost this cake with a stiff vanilla buttercream frosting, especially when I make it into a layer cake. It holds its shape really well and protects the cake from drying out like a softer frosting but without wilting. If you'd really like to dive in, please see our full discussion of gluten free frosting recipes, tips, and FAQs.
The simplest way to a lovely, basic gf frosting is to just beat 10 to 12 tablespoons (140 to 168 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and/or the seeds from the inside of a vanilla bean, and begin with 2 cups (230 grams) confectioners' sugar.
Beat until well-combined. Add more confectioners' sugar as necessary to make the frosting as stiff as you'd like it.
Test the consistency by running your finger through it, but only after beating the frosting really well. If it's stiff enough, it won't stick to your fingers very much.
Storing your gluten free vanilla cake
I like the look of a “naked cake,” which just means that it's frosted fully in between the layers and on top. The sides have a very thin crumb coat, and that's enough to keep in the moisture.
If you'd like to serve a few slices of this perfect vanilla layer cake and then store it at room temperature for a few hours, just after taking a slice, use leftover frosting to cover the missing area, extending the cake's life in the fridge.
Tips for making the best gluten free vanilla cake
Beat the room temp butter and sugar well for an airy crumb in your gf cake
The buttermilk in this recipe tenderizes the crumb so it has a tender mouthfeel. But the airy, open tenderness you can see clearly in the photos and the video comes from air being incorporated into the batter at the start.
Make sure your gluten free vanilla cake is cool before frosting
When you first remove them from the oven, let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes. This allows them to firm up enough that they won't fall apart when you move them.
After 15 minutes, turn the cakes over onto a wire rack to cool 100% before you handle or frost them at all. If your cake has any residual heat at all, your frosting will melt.
FAQs
Yes, pure vanilla extract is gluten free because distilled alcohol is gluten free. See: Gluten Free Living Magazine.
If your cake baked and appeared done, but sunk as it cooled, it wasn't baked properly all the way in the center. That is usually due to a too-hot oven that bakes the outside of the cake until well done before the inside is done.
I don't recommend using this cake recipe to make cupcakes, since it's easier to make cupcake batter than it is cake batter. Use my recipe for the perfect gluten free vanilla cupcakes, which don't require any sifting, instead!
No, I don't recommend using this recipe to make a vanilla sheet cake. A sheet cake is a larger, rectangular cake that tends to burn on the bottom center.
Use our recipe for gluten free vanilla sheet cake instead. It's easy to make, easy to frost, and always makes for a great celebration!
Yes, you must use xanthan gum or an all purpose gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, to make this cake. Without any xanthan gum, the cake won't hold together properly, and it will go stale much more quickly, too.
Yes! To freeze the cake whole, wrap it very tightly and defrost at room temperature before slicing and serving. To freeze slices, wrap them tightly and freeze individually, then defrost at room temperature. It's always best to freeze the cake before it's frosted, but if you're storing leftover and they're already frosted, defrost slices in the refrigerator overnight.
Ingredient substitutions
I’ve tried this cake every which way, and this is truly the best. If you need to modify the ingredients, of course the cake will be different.
Dairy free
For dairy-free, I recommend vegan butter like Miyoko's Kitchen or Melt brands in place of butter. Try 1:1 by weight. You can also try Spectrum brand nonhydrogenated butter-flavored vegetable shortening.
You'll need a buttermilk substitute. Try half unsweetened almond milk by volume and half nondairy plain yogurt in place of the buttermilk.
I really don't like a simple milk + acid like lemon juice or vinegar as a buttermilk replacement. That only replaces the acid, but not the thickness of buttermilk. The half milk half yogurt swap is the best.
Maybe you'd like to make a white cake, instead of this yellow cake. My recipe for gluten free white cake is perfect for adding food coloring for a special occasion. If you're looking for a super light white cake, you might prefer our gluten free angel food cake, made without any egg yolks (only whites) and even without any butter.
If you'd like to turn this cake into a two-layer homemade Funfetti cake, we have a gluten free birthday cake recipe. That recipe also has recipes for chocolate sour cream frosting for the center of the cake, and chocolate icing for on top. *chefskiss*
Egg free
I have not tried this cake with an egg substitute. But I'm afraid I just can't see working out very well since this cake is very egg-dependent.
My typical egg replacement suggestion is a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel). But this cake calls for mostly egg whites, and a chia egg is not an egg white substitute.
If you're feeling adventuresome, you can try replacing the whole egg with a chia egg and the egg whites with slightly whipped aquafaba. Aquafaba is simply the brine from a can of chickpeas.
I'm working on a true vegan gluten free vanilla cake recipe because I really prefer a cake that is designed to be made egg-free, rather than one with an egg replacer. But, in the meantime, here we are.
Corn free
In place of cornstarch, try arrowroot or even potato starch. Either should work fine. We're really using cornstarch to make our all purpose gluten free flour blend into more of a gluten free cake flour.
If you are using a higher starch all purpose gluten free flour blend like Cup4Cup (or my mock Cup4Cup), replace the cornstarch in this recipe with an additional 54 grams of your flour blend.
Gluten Free Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; you must use one of my recommended blends, measure by weight, and sift or the recipe won't work)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 6 tablespoons (54 g) cornstarch replace with 6 tablespoons additional Cup4Cup if Cup4Cup is your all purpose gluten free flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 (100 g) egg whites at room temperature
- 1 egg (50 g (weighed out of shell)) at room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups (10 ⅔ fluid ounces) buttermilk at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper (trace the perimeter of the cake pan on the parchment, then cut out the circle). Set the pans aside.
- Into a medium-size bowl, sift (yes, you have to sift!) the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum, and cornstarch. Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine well. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a large measuring cup or medium-size bowl, place the egg whites and egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Whisk to combine very well. Set the wet ingredients aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for at least 3 minutes, stopping at least once to scrape the entire mixture off the sides and bottom of the bowl, or until very light and fluffy.
- To the large bowl with the butter and sugar mixture, add the dry ingredients in 4 equal portions, alternating with the buttermilk and egg mixture in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing to combine in between additions.
- The batter will sometimes look a bit curdled. That's normal and not a problem at all.
- Once all the ingredients have been added, beat for another minute on medium speed to ensure that everything is combined, then turn over the batter a few times by hand.
- The batter should be fluffy and relatively smooth, although a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix the batter in an attempt to make it perfectly smooth. It will be relatively thick.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared baking pans and smooth each into an even layer with an offset spatula. Bang the bottoms of the pans flat on the counter a few times to break any large air bubbles.
- Place the baking pans in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans, and continue to bake until the cakes are lightly golden brown all over, have begun to pull away from the sides of the pan and do not jiggle in the center at all (about another 10 minutes). These tests for doneness are more useful than the toothpick test. Do not overbake.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack (and removing the parchment paper liners) to cool completely before frosting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Katie says
Yum
Payal says
Any brand suggestions of flour for this cake in Australia. We don’t have a huge variety unfortunately.
Thank you
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid all I can offer is what I have on the “all purpose gluten free flour blends” page linked in the recipe, Payal, for you to make your own blend. That’s there for readers who can’t access the blends that I recommend ready-made.
Jenna Anderson says
Can you use gluten free plain flour and corn flour instead as I cant find all purpose flour or cornstarch
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Jenna, “plain flour” in the UK (and a few other countries, I believe) is what we in the U.S. refer to as all purpose flour. I have always heard that Dove’s plain gluten free flour is a perfect substitute for our Better Batter. And your “corn flour” is our cornstarch, I believe. It’s just the starch, no fiber at all. Hope that helps!
Lucy says
Hi, I want to use you basic gluten free flour blend (the one that is just white rice flour, potato starch and I think cornstarch), what else do I need to add, aside from the xanthan gum? Or it’s fine if I only add that flour blend and xanthan gum? Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid that flour blend isn’t appropriate for this recipe, Lucy. It’s only appropriate for the specific recipes where I specify it. It’s not really an “all purpose gluten free flour” as written.
Irvin says
Is there an icing fir this cake that is gluten free?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Irvin, In the photos in this recipe, I used a cream cheese buttermilk frosting. But you can use the buttercream frosting from my recipe for gluten free Funfetti cupcakes (multiply by 3 for a double layer cake). Or try my gluten free ermine frosting recipe for something lighter and less sweet.
Dawn Horstead says
I added 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dry mixture and got the Very Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake I’ve ever had! My sons didn’t believe it was gluten-free. It’s my go-to recipe now.
Most recently, I tried adding banana to this recipe, but the cake fell. I may add ground flax seed next time, to compensate for the added moisture. What would you suggest?
Thanks, so much, Nicole! Your recipes are amazing and always turn out perfectly! I really appreciate the effort you put into helping us eat well gluten-free.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m glad you had a good experience, Dawn. I’d really recommend for others’ benefit that they use my one bowl chocolate cake recipe instead of adding cocoa powder to this one. And I also have a banana cake recipe and I really suggest using that instead, as it is already very well-tested. Recipe development is a time-consuming process, and I’m afraid you can’t just tinker around the edges like that and expect success very often.
Caitlin says
I am TELLING YOU – this truly is the best gf cake I’ve ever made. Thank you for this recipe! My snobby chef friends who suffer through my Celiac baking have even requested it.
Nicole Hunn says
Hahaha, Caitlin, I loooooove this on so many levels. Love that you love the cake, of course, maybe love it even more that you’ve stopped the snobby chef friends in their tracks. ?
Ashley Nicholson says
Hi! I plan on using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour.
(The ingredients are sweet white rice flour, whole grain brown rice flour, potato starch, whole grain sorghum flour, tapioca flour, xantham gum.) How will this affect the other ingredients? Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
You cannot use Bob’s Red Mill flour blends in my recipes, Ashley. Please see the full discussion of gluten free flour blends.
Decah says
Thanks, Nicole. I will see about purchasing an oven thermometer and see if that solves
the issue. I have tried your Cinnamon Roll Muffins and they are delicious and they came out
pretty good. I love using your recipes because I know you have tested them and they work.
Decah
Decah says
I made this cake for my granddaughter’s birthday and while the cake tasted really good it fell flat after coming out of the oven. It looked so pretty and fluffy when I took it out and as it cooled down it shrunk until it was only about an inch thick. Any ideas on the cause of this? I used your mock cup for cup flour blend and followed the recipe even sifting the flour! Thanks.
Nicole Hunn says
Whenever a cake rises and then falls as it cools, it isn’t cooked all the way through. It sounds like a too-hot oven, which cooks the outside well long before the inside can support its structure. Your oven most likely runs hot (most do), so you need a simple, inexpensive oven thermometer to use instead of your oven’s temperature gauge, which is likely off. If you made any substitutions, or measured by volume instead of weight, that would also contribute to the issues you had.
Jake says
So I tried this recipe and the Funfetti cake this weekend but they didn’t turn out. I didn’t make any of the substitutions since Celiac is all I have. I used Domata Recipe Ready GF flour since I’ve had really good results from it on multiple other recipes. Both cakes had a very good rise in the oven and at 35 minutes a toothpick came out clean but felt slightly sticky. Once removed from the oven the cake fell completely and had no air or fluffiness, it looked like an overcooked cheesecake on the inside. Any ideas what happened? (I keep my flour closed up and in the freezer)
Nicole Hunn says
You cannot use Domata gluten free flour in my recipes, Jake. It’s not a properly balanced blend, and does not behave like a proper all purpose gluten free flour. It’s one of the flours that I actually call out by name on the gluten free flour blends page that I link to every time a recipe calls for an all purpose gluten free flour.
Marlena Feuz Amalfitano says
This is an excellent recipe – good crumb, nice and light, tasty, all good things. Tastes like the “other” cake
Mary B. says
I have bought two of Nicole’s books and tried lots of her recipes…just used a few this past Christmas as well. The results of her recipes are incredible. Not only are her recipes delicious and successful, but they don’t taste gluten free. I encourage anyone who is curious and hasn’t tried her books to support her efforts!
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you so much, Mary!!
Jennifer S. says
another home run – -for those who like white cake (not me, though I eat it -teehee). I’m totally sticking with your chocolate devil’s food cake because Nicole – that cake is the bomb! But if someone ever asks for white cake – this will be my go to! :)
Kristen says
Looks great!!! I’ve purchased and would love to use up the Trader Joe’s GF AP flour and then buy what you recommend. Do you have any idea if it would work here? No worries if not. I’m new to all of this and have yet to try baking. Thanks!!!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Kristen,
I actually reviewed the Trader Joe’s GF AP flour when it first came out (find it here), and I found it to be remarkably similar to King Arthur’s Multi-Purpose GF Flour. I’m afraid it’s not a very flattering comparison. I highly recommend against using it in this recipe as it’s quite an unbalanced blend (very starchy, more so than Cup4Cup even), and most importantly for a recipe like this, its rice flour is very gritty. You really need a superfine rice flour for a tender crumb. In fact, I think this recipe wouldn’t bake up the same at all using that flour. So sorry!
Kristeb says
Thank you so much! You saved me from ruining good butter :) I appreciate you replying. I’ll go read the reviews… Now… What to do with these 3 bags?!
Nicole Hunn says
That’s kind of a tough one, I’m afraid. You could try using it in my DIY Bisquick Mix, and just make the batter and let it sit so the rice grains can soften. I was so hopeful when I saw that TJs flour. :(
elky says
On a similar topic, I’ve been trying to make mock better batter with vitacost brand flours/starches and while they’re not gritty, everything is turning out dry. I’ve checked that I’m not under-measuring fluids, and then added an extra ounce of water to the no-rise yeast rolls and they were improved, not perfect. The batter for the cookie dough cupcakes was still way too thick even with extra fluid. Either it’s the vitacost flours being extra hygroscopic or my xanthum gum is superduper strength. So I’m trying to get my hands on some actual Better Batter instead of trying to build my own but stocks are low everywhere right now. I’ll have to bite the bullet and get a whole 5lb for trial.
Michelle Parker Howard says
No worries! You will love it. I just ordered 25 lbs ! (YIKES!)
Michelle Parker Howard says
Have you tried these as cupcakes by chance? Any difference in the method or cooking time?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Michelle,
Actually, believe it or not I haven’t! I think they would probably work just fine, but I can’t be 100% sure. I would say keep the method precisely the same, fill the muffin wells 2/3 of the way full and start checking them at 18 minutes. Just an educated guess, though!