The impossibly light, moist and tender crumb of this cake makes it (yes, really) the very best gluten free vanilla cake youve 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.
The Very Best Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Recipe
Celebrate birthdays, special occasions, and everyday moments with this light and airy gluten free vanilla cake recipe. No one will guess this is a gluten free cake!
Prep: 25min
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 498 kcal, Carbohydrate 73 g, Protein 8 g, Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 155 mg, Sodium 462 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 40 g, unSaturated Fat 6 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch (replace with 6 tablespoons additional Cup4Cup if Cup4Cup is your all purpose gluten free flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 egg whites (at room temperature)
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups buttermilk (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Instruction:
- 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.
Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
This easy gluten-free chocolate cake is super simple, and has the perfect texture.
Prep: 15min
Total: 1h3min
Serving Size: 1 slice
Nutrition Facts: calories 407 calories, Carbohydrate 66 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 40 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 14 grams fat, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 4 grams protein, Saturated Fat 5 grams saturated fat, servingSize 1 slice, Sodium 347 milligrams sodium, Sugar 49 grams sugar, Trans Fat 0 grams trans fat, unSaturated Fat 8 grams unsaturated fat
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (320g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (285g) all purpose gluten-free flour blend (see note about flour blends below)
- 3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) gluten-free baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt (6g)
- 2 large eggs (110g), room temperature
- 1 cup milk (260g) (or dairy-free milk)
- 1/2 cup (110g) vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4g) gluten-free vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (150g) boiling water (for activating the cocoa)
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter (or dairy-free butter)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4g) gluten-free vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 1/2 cups (450g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (40-60g) milk (or dairy-free milk)
Instruction:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps.
- Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for two minutes.
- Stir in boiling water.
- Spoon batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack.
- For the frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add cocoa powder and beat until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Slowly beat in milk. Beat in additional milk if needed, to obtain desired consistency.
- Frost cakes.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
best ever vanilla cake recipe gluten-free and dairy-free light, fluffy birthday cake
FAQ
How do you keep gluten-free cake moist?
Any gluten-free cake will dry out super-fast and get hard on the outside if it’s not properly refrigerated and covered. I swear by always using buttermilk and adding a little more fat into the batter to compensate for the dryness.
Is there a trick to baking with gluten-free flour?
To replace gluten, you’ll need to use a different thickening agent like xanthan gum or guar gum in your baking. For each cup of gluten-free flour mix, add at least 1 teaspoon of gluten substitute. This comes from the dried cell coat of a microorganism called Xanthomonas campestris.
What makes a gluten-free cake rubbery?
The most common culprit in a gummy gluten-free cake is white rice flour. This flour is widely used in gluten-free baking.
Does gluten-free flour affect cakes?
Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.
