The BEST gluten-free vanilla cake you’ll ever make! This cake is fluffy and has a pillowy-soft crumb. Topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream, it’s worthy of any celebration.
I tested this recipe dozens of times to get it just right! The secret to delicious gluten-free cake is skipping the butter and using a combination of sour cream and oil instead. Whipping the batter also makes a light and fluffy cake!
This post has all the details and tricks you need to make a delicious gluten-free vanilla cake every time.
I’ve had this gluten-free vanilla cake recipe in the works for a few years now and I’m excited to finally be sharing it!
Like this gluten-free chocolate cake and this gluten-free carrot cake, I tested dozens of variations to get this recipe just right. It truly has the most amazing crumb of any gluten-free cake I’ve ever made!
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Why this Gluten-Free Cake Recipe is the BEST!
- Soft and pillowy crumb
- Made with easy-to-find gluten-free ingredients
- Bakes up in under an hour
- Makes a stable and reliable cake
- Can be made as a layer cake or a 9×13 sheet cake
- Perfect for any special occasion!
VIDEO: How to Make Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
Ingredients You’ll Need
The biggest trick to making a delicious gluten-free vanilla cake is to use a combination of sour cream and oil for richness instead of butter. This give the cake that wedding cake consistency!
I also use this trick in these gluten-free blueberry muffins. Butterfat causes gluten-free flour to clump up and make a denser crumb. Sour cream is also the key ingredient in this gluten-free coffee cake!
You also might like this full collection of gluten-free cake recipes.
Here are a few more notes on the key ingredients. If you have any additional questions feel free to leave me a comment below!
- Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour: This gluten-free cake turns out best when you use a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Look for a gluten free all purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum so the cake has the structure it needs. This is my favorite brand for this recipe.
- Sour Cream/Oil: Adds richness and tenderness to the cake without weighing down the crumb.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice helps to tenderize the crumb. It’s the secret ingredient in my gluten-free pumpkin bread as well.
- Baking Powder: I use a good amount in this recipe for the perfect rise.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best results and that real vanilla flavor.
NOTE: I use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour for this cake. I use King Arthur Flour for many of my recipes but I really like the consistency I get from the Bob’s flour for this recipe!
How to Make Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Whip on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly drizzle in the oil. (You want to do this slowly so you don’t loose the air that you’ve mixed in. This will create a light gluten-free cake!)
- Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
- With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated.
- Add the sour cream to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and continue to mix.
- Add 1/2 of the milk followed by the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
- Add the remaining milk and stir until totally combined on medium speed.
Note: Adding the dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients ensures the flour absorbs into the batter. This prevents dry, grainy gluten-free vanilla cake.
Recommended Cake Pans
Once your batter is ready, pour it into your pan of choice and bake. I recommend making two 8-inch round cakes or one 9×13-inch cake with this gluten-free recipe.
These are my favorite 8-inch round cake pans. They are great quality for the price! For a 9×13-inch gluten-free cake I recommend this glass pan. Bake and then turn out onto a cooling rack.
Gluten-Free Cake + Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Once the gluten-free cake layers are cooled on a wire rack, you can make the frosting. I’ve included my favorite recipe for vanilla buttercream frosting in the recipe card.
The combination of the soft, tender crumb of the gluten-free vanilla cake and the whipped vanilla buttercream frosting is simply dreamy!
The main tricks to amazing vanilla buttercream are to whip the frosting throughly and add a pinch of salt to even out the sweetness of the powdered sugar. I add a pinch of salt to any frosting I make now!
Gluten-Free Cake FAQ
The trick to making moist gluten-free cake is to use a combination of sour cream and oil for richness. Sour cream and oil work better than butter as butterfat causes gluten-free flour to clump up and make a denser crumb.
Gluten-free cake turns out best when you use a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. Look for a blend that contains xanthan gum so the cake has the structure it needs.
This gluten-free vanilla cake will stay moist and soft for up to 2 days. To store simply cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. This cake keeps much longer than other gluten-free cakes, which is another reason I love this recipe!
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes
I hope I’ve set you up for success to make the best gluten-free vanilla cake you’ve ever tried! If you try this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. It helps me and others so much! Happy Baking!
Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour 350 grams (I like the brand Bob's Red Mill for this cake but King Arthur Flour will also work)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Other Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups sugar 380 grams
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil 100 grams
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sour cream 120 grams (regular or light)
- 1 cup milk 250 grams (I use 2%)
For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk more as needed to adjust frosting consistency
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two 8-inch round pans or one 9×13 pan. I also like to line the bottom of the 8-inch round pans with a circle of parchment paper then grease again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs and sugar. Whip on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer running on low, slowly drizzle in the oil. (You want to do this slowly so you don't loose the air that you've mixed in.) Mix in the vanilla and lemon juice.
- With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated. Add the sour cream and mix to combine. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and continue to mix. Add 1/2 of the milk followed by the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Add the remaining milk and stir until totally combined. (You want to add the dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients so the flour absorbs into the batter.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
- If using 8-inch round pans, let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Then turn out the cakes onto a wire rack to continue cooling. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- In a stand mixer (or large bowl to use with a hand mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 4 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I recommend adding 1/8 teaspoon.)
- If the frosting looks too thick add a little more cream/milk. If the frosting looks too thin add more powdered sugar to get a spreadable consistency.
- Frost the cake as desired. Enjoy!
Can I put sprinkles in the batter?
Yes that will work great! I wouldn’t add more than 3 tablespoons of sprinkles. I hope this helps!
Hi Erin,
Do you think plant-based (coconut) sour cream and plant-based milk would work for this recipe?
Yes! I have had good results with the brand Forager dairy-free sour cream and almond milk. I hope this helps!
I assume I can use 2 loaf pans for this cake. Have you ever done this? How long would you suggest I bake them for.
I haven’t tried this recipe in a loaf pan. 2 round cakes would be better as the cake bakes up best at that thickness. I don’t know how a thicker loaf pan would work.
I just put mine in the oven, but the batter was not watery at all, in fact it was more solid. I’m not sure how it is going to turn out. I followed the correct instructions but after watching your video imm worried as the batter looks nothing like yours.
Hmm what brand of GF flour did you use? I really like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free baking flour best for this cake!
Can I use almond milk or coconut milk instead of 2%?
Yes you can use almond milk or boxed refrigerated coconut milk! I wouldn’t use canned coconut milk. I hope this helps!
I’ve been baking gluten-free for 20 years. Following this recipe resulted in the best white cake ever. This was fantastic. I used a 9×13” pan. Next time, I’ll use round pans. I’m confident it will work just fine. I did not use the frosting recipe; I made one of my own. Next time I’ll use the recommended frosting.
I’m so honored to hear that! Glad the cake turned out for you. Thanks for the comment!
I love this recipe – thank you so much for sharing! Do you think it would work if I halved it and made a slightly smaller cake?
Yes that will work great! Glad you like the recipe 🙂
Will lactose free milk and sour cream work for this recipe?
How long do I cook a 9 x 13 cake for ??
I would add about 5-10 minutes to the bake time for a 9×13!
This is delicious!! My girls are thrilled that they can have cake that tastes and feels like cake! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Is it 1 cup of milk? My batter is very watery
Yes that’s correct! The batter will be watery but it works out!
I’ll never need another gluten free cake recipe! This turned out fantastic and far exceeded my expectations. I’m not a gluten free baker but need to occasionally bake that way for friends and family, and this was so easy and turned out so much better than anything else I’ve ever made. The crumb is perfect, tastes supurb.
Note: I used 3 6-inch pans, needed to bake for about 43 minutes since my pans are light colored. Came out perfectly baked, moist and tender.
Hooray! I’m so glad the cake turned out for you. Great to know the baking time with those pans. Thanks for the comment!
Will whole milk work okay in this?
Yes that will work!