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!
Melissa Brown says
This sounds really good. I want to try. Now after reading over everything, I have one question. Have you tried it with King Arthur Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour? I use that one and wanted your input prior to me making. Thank you.
Nicole Hunn says
Yes, I have, Melissa, and no, I’m afraid I don’t recommend it—particularly in this recipe. It isn’t properly balanced, and the rice flour isn’t finely ground enough. Your batter will be too thick and you’ll be disappointed in the results. If you read the handful of negative reviews on this recipe, you’ll see what happens when a sub-par flour blend is used. I wish that blend were good, but I’ve tested it quite extensively since it’s so available, and it just doesn’t cut it.
Elizabeth Kuhn says
I used Cup4Cup flour + didn’t put the cornstarch in, and replaced it with more flour. My cake batter was so sticky! I couldn’t even get it off my spatula. Do you know what happened? My cakes are dense.
Nicole Hunn says
I would always ask yourself if you measured by weight, not volume, which often leads to overmeasuring flour. That will make a cake dense every time. In addition, the temperature of the ingredients, beating the wet ingredients until very light and fluffy, sifting the flour, each and every instruction is essential to success. I’m afraid I can’t tell why you aren’t satisfied with your result, as we all have habits in the kitchen that can interfere with success. That is part of why you must follow a recipe so closely, and also I can’t know where you deviated from the recipe as written.
Sheena says
Can I make cupcakes with this? Do you know how to adjust the baking time if I can.
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t recommend that, really, Sheena. I have a recipe for vanilla cupcakes that is similar, but actually much simpler and makes delicious gf vanilla cupcakes. You can use the search function, but here’s a direct link.
Sarah says
This recipe was amazing!! Thank you so much! I made it for my sister’s (who eats gluten free) baby shower and everyone loved it! It was my first time making a gluten free cake and I was worried about a weird tasting and cardboard-y, but it was light and fluffy. I don’t think it could be any better with a gluten flour.
Nicole Hunn says
It really is the very best cake, Sarah, gluten or no gluten! I’m so glad you agree, and that you were able to make her baby shower special. It’s no fun when the mom-to-be can’t eat what everyone else is eating. She’s lucky to have you!
Jill Ziv says
My sister who rarely gives a compliment said it was the second best cake she ever had in her life, (the first being my wedding cake I didn’t bake), and she’s not even gluten free! Wow! I even used bob’s 1:1 flour which you said was low quality, and it was still fantastic.
Rose Syroid says
This was delicious! Moist, flavorful.
Nicole Hunn says
Love to hear it, Rose!!
Julia Levy says
Absolutely amazing cake! Did it with a vanilla buttercream and used vanilla bean paste and essence in the cake. It was an absolute winner!
Nicole Hunn says
That sounds amazing, Julia! The more vanilla the better. :)
Michelle says
I followed the instructions completely. The batter was very dense, which is fine. It was tough to spread in the pans. Not sure what I did wrong. I used the exact flour brand, cup 4 cup. I also saw in the comments that you used a cream cheese buttermilk frosting on this cake, but I did not see a link for that until I read the comments.
Nicole Hunn says
This recipe is not only about the ingredients, Michelle, but following the instructions to the letter (which everyone thinks they did, but almost no one does). Here are the questions to ask yourself to help narrow down where you went wrong
Did you replace the cornstarch with more Cup4Cup, as instructed in the blog post?
Did you sift your ingredients?
Measure by weight instead of volume?
Beat the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy?
Make any ingredient substitutions?
I would also check your baking soda and baking powder, as they may have gone bad.
Kelly says
The same thing happened to me! I couldn’t really smooth the batter in the cake pans. It looks like a biscuit while baking in the cake pan, but I think I should be able to level them at least.
Nicole Hunn says
It’s a thick batter, but not too thick to spread. If you measured by volume, not weight, Kelly, or made any substitutions, I’d look there first. This cake has very simple ingredients that must be prepared exactly as written. It’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog for good reason!
Jeanne Wong says
Best cake I ever tasted…not an exaggeration! Cake to me was mostly about the icing, but this cake was so good that the icing took second place. Made it for my daughter-in-law’s birthday. I remember how our eyes all widened, & we all exclaimed at the same time how delicious the cake was when we took our first bite. As always, Chef Nicole has out-done herself.
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you so much for leaving this comment and review, Jeanne! From our email conversations, I already knew you loved it—and now everyone does! 😘
Selina Knight says
Love your recipies and all the hard work you put into them!! Could you add melted choc to this mixture at all? Like a white or caramel choc to give it that little hint of extra flavour? Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t recommend that at all, no, Selina. If you’re looking for a marble cake, please use the search function for just that here on the blog.
Terrie Severson says
While awaiting my aluminum pans to arrive ( all of my pans are dark) I do have one question.
Would there be any advantage to beating the egg whites to a soft peak stage then adding the rest of the wet ingredients and combining well? With your recipe calling for so many eggs is it for structure or airiness, or both?
Thank you for your other great recipes that were highly successful and praised by my GF friends.
Nicole Hunn says
No, that is not a good idea, Terrie. This isn’t a sponge cake, which is made using a method like that. You should make the recipe exactly as written. It’s exactly perfect, just as it is!
Debi Wilson says
I know that any recipe you post, will be great. I have not had a bad one yet, all of your recipes are so good. when I see a email from gluten free on a shoestring, I already know , oh yea gona print this out and make it. You have good stories to, down to earth people. Happy Sunday and God Bless
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you, Debi! That means so much to me. I hope you love this cake a little extra, since it’s just so darn good!!
Wendy says
Looks delicious, Nicole! I must try it.
I’d like to replicate your Mock Better Batter flour mix, being as you consider it “gold standard” (I generally make your Mock Cup 4 Cup) but here in the UK, potato flour means potato starch and no one seems to realise there IS such a thing as potato flour! However, today I came across a supplier who sold freeze-dried potato cubes, which are apparently 100% potato. IfI was to blitz those in a food processor, would that do the job, do you think?
Nicole Hunn says
Yes, they are completely different, potato starch and potato flour, Wendy! Since potato flour is whole peeled potatoes that have been cooked and dried, if the potato cubes are without the peel, you should do fine to grind them into a powder. But if you’d prefer to avoid the whole issue, you can make my “Better Than Cup4Cup blend,” which corrects the imbalances in Cup4Cup and avoids potato flour. Up to you!
Wendy says
Thanks, Nicole. Yes, obviously not many people in the UK have come across “real” potato flour! It’s surprising in a way, as potatoes are big in this country and everyone knows about rice flour, so why not potato flour…
I’ll keep using your Cup4Cup mix for now, though I might be tempted to make potato flour from those cubes just out of curiosity, so I can give your Mock Better Batter a go and compare the two mixes.
Nicole Hunn says
As long as the cubes are made from potatoes without the peel, Wendy, they should work great to make potato flour. Just be sure you grind it really fine!
Benda says
I don’t know why all your recipe have to be a all purpose gluten free blend can’t you just say how much tapioca flour you need or rice flour you need or corn starch, sorghum, etc. Those blends are very expensive and I buy all my gluten free flour at the bulk barn (maybe you can afford to spend money on blends but I can’t) take a look at the Jean Pere Gluten free cookbook she tells you exactly what flours you need It would be nice to have recipes tell you watch you need and by the way your recipes look really nice
Nicole Hunn says
Brenda, I give extremely precise measurements for every single ingredient. You simply have to read the detailed information. All the information is there, set up for complete success. If you have someone else’s recipes that you prefer, by all means use those.
Tammy says
I want to make my pumpkin bread recipe gluten free,what flour should I use so it won’t be crumbly
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t provide guidance on how to convert recipes to gluten free, Tammy. I only provide tried and tested gluten free recipes. If you’d like my recipe for gluten free pumpkin bread, please use the search function.
Candace P says
Hi Nicole! Question about this recipe (and a general question) – When you use Better Batter, which I use and also love, and then write “xantham gum, unless your blend already contains” do you omit (with Better Batter, since it does list xantham gum) or do you add? I’ve been adding it but always wonder! Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
Candace, “xanthan gum, unless your blend already contains it” means that you only use that ingredient if your blend doesn’t contain it. Since Better Batter does contain it, as you said, you don’t add it. You must have had some gummy baked goods!
Jamie says
Can this be made into cupcakes? If so, how many minutes?
Nicole Hunn says
I discuss this in the post, Jamie. I recommend you use my vanilla cupcakes recipe, linked in the post and available by using the search bar.