Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Soft and fluffy with a pillowy crumb (not at all dense or gummy like other gluten-free cakes!)
Taste: Just the right amount of sweetness and vanilla
Ease: Very easy to make!
Top Tips: Skip the butter and use a combination of oil/sour cream! Oil has a lower melting point than butter and is a liquid at room temperature, so it more evenly coats the dry ingredients. This give the cake that wedding cake consistency! The sour cream gives the cake richness and flavor.
Recommended GF Flour: I have tested this recipe MANY times with different flour blends and it always turns out best using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour. For best results use this flour.
Would I make these again? Definitely! This is my go-to gluten-free cake recipe.It’s a great base recipe to use with many frostings/toppings. (Try turning it into strawberry shortcake with whipped cream and strawberries!)
Since publishing this gluten-free vanilla cake back in 2021, it’s received rave reviews. Some of you have even used it for wedding cakes which is such an honor!
June 2024: I’ve updated the method for mixing together the cake batter. I’ve found it turns out more reliably delicious using this new method! Also be sure your eggs and milk are at room temperature.
I also highly recommend using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour, 2% milk and vegetable oil for best results.
Featured Comment
From Elizabeth: “I have been gluten free for years, and have made many many delicious gluten free baked goods. I made this cake for my birthday and I honestly just kept saying, I think this is the best cake I’ve ever made. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!!”
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on the key ingredients to make this gluten-free vanilla cake. You can find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour: I use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking 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 cake! You can also use it in these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes.
- Sour Cream: Skip the butter and use a combination of oil/sour cream! Oil has a lower melting point than butter and is a liquid at room temperature, so it more evenly coats the dry ingredients. This lends to the perfect crumb! The sour cream gives the cake richness and flavor. I also use this trick with my gluten-free blueberry muffins.
- Oil: I have tried making this cake with several neutral oils like grapeseed oil and avocdao oil, but think it turns out best made with vegetable oil. I recommend vegetable oil for best results!
- Milk: I recommend making this cake with 2% milk.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best results and that real vanilla flavor.
You also might like this full collection of gluten-free cake recipes.
How to Make Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
Here’s an overview of how to make this cake. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- Dry ingredients: Whisk them all together.
- Beat the sugar/eggs/oil/vanilla: You can mix these ingredients together using a hand or stand mixer. Then mix in the sour cream. Note that you’ll add the milk later with the dry ingredients!
- Add dry ingredients: You’ll do this alternately with the milk, mixing inbetween to give the gluten-free flour time to hydrate. I usually like to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure I’ve gotten everything mixed in.
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!
You might also like serving this cake with 7-minute frosting.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
- To Store: 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!
- To Freeze: To freeze two cake rounds, wrap each round tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Place the wrapped rounds in a resealable freezer bag, label with the date, and store them flat in the freezer for up to three months.
How do you make a gluten-free cake more moist?
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.
Can I make this gluten-free cake dairy-free?
You can make this cake dairy-free by using dairy-free sour cream and dairy-free milk. Opt for a dairy-free milk that has fewer ingredients like Elmhurst Cashew Milk for best results. Added gums and stabilizers in dairy-free milks will effect the texture of the cake.
Which gluten-free flour is best for cakes?
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. My personal favorite flour blend for gluten-free cakes is Bob’s Red Mill.
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes
Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2½ cups (375g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (I recommend Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Other
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream at room temperature
- 1¼ cups (300ml) 2% milk at room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (226g) salted butter at room temperature
- 4-5 cups (480-600g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream or milk of choice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- June 2024: I've updated the method for mixing together the cake batter. I've found it turns out more reliably delicious using this new method! Also be sure your eggs and milk are at room temperature.I also highly recommend using Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour, 2% milk and vegetable oil for best results.
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch round pans with cooking spray, line with parchment paper rounds, then spray the parchment paper.
- 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, beat together the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract until fully combined, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the sour cream and beat until well-combined.
- With the mixer running on low, add ½ of the dry ingredients, followed by ½ of the milk. Mix to combine. Add the remaining ½ dry ingredients and ½ milk, then mix until just combined.
- 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.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in their pans for 15 minutes. Remove each cake from its pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 4 cups powdered sugar along with the cream/milk, vanilla and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and whip for a full 2 minutes.
- If the frosting is too thick, add a little more cream/milk. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar to get a spreadable consistency. Frost the cake as desired.
Notes
- To Store: 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!
- To Freeze: To freeze two cake rounds, wrap each round tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Place the wrapped rounds in a resealable freezer bag, label with the date, and store them flat in the freezer for up to three months.
I made this for my 70 year old uncle for his birthday. He said it was the best cake he has ever had. I agree! A wonderful recipe. I’d like to use this recipe to make chocolate cupcakes for my grandson. Can you advise on what I would need to do to make it chocolate without changing the texture? And how long would I bake if making cupcakes? Thank you!
Dottie
I have a small home based baking business and for years I have avoided gluten free recipes because I couldn’t find any recipes that tasted good and had a good texture. I made this cake yesterday and I was truly amazed at how well it tasted and how lovely the texture was. I used the Red Mill as recommended and it turned out wonderful
I’m so honored you like the recipe! Glad it turned out for you 🙂 Thanks for the comment and happy baking!
Hi I am just wondering if it would be ok to use self raising gluten free flour? Or normal gluten free plain flour ? I can only get Sr or plain GF flour at the supermarket 🙂 Thank you
I would use plain gluten-free flour! Make sure it has xanthan gum – but if it doesn’t I would add 3/4 teaspoon.
This is the BEST cake I’ve ever eaten. The flavors and texture are top notch.
I made it on Christmas Eve & again on New Years Eve! So good!
I’m so glad to hear you like the cake! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I’m so excited to hear about your trick of replacing butter with sour cream and oil!! Is this just got cakes or other GF baked goods as well? Do you have a general rule of thumb for how much sour cream and oil you use for GF recipes that call for butter? Thanks for your wonderful website!! I’m on a quest to “master” GF baking and your ideas and recipes have been SOOO helpful!!!
Could I add orange extract, orange zest and cranberries? I know it’s basically just turning the whole recipe around, but I need to find a good gluten free winter cake. Thanks!
-Renata
I think that might work! But I know for sure this recipe for Gluten-free Cranberry Orange Muffins would work as a coffee cake – https://meaningfuleats.com/gluten-free-healthy-oatmeal-cranberry-muffins-dairy-free/. You can spread the batter into a 9×9 baking dish then sprinkle with the topping. You can bake the cake for about 20 minutes. Just check the center with a toothpick to be sure it’s baked all the way through. I hope this helps!
Hello! This recipe looks really great! I am wondering if there is a way to make this a white chocolate cake without loosing the integrity of the rise and crumb? I feel like often gluten-free cakes are dense because they don’t rise well – this one looks perfect though!
I need to experiment before I can say for sure! I suspect using 3 egg whites instead of the whole eggs would work great. Let me know if you try it!
I used this recipe to make my daughter’s 3 tier wedding cake with great success! Thank you for the information on gluten free baking as well as the recipe. It was delicious and my first attempt at gluten free baking. Knowing the reasons for the difference in the method are just important to me in addition to a tried and true recipe!
Erin – You have the best GF recipes. I”m searching for a gluten-free red or blue velvet cake. Can I use the recipe as the base substituting buttermilk for the milk and adding in 2 Tablespoons of natural cocoa powder?
I think that would work great! Let me know how it turns out if you try it that way!
Really is the very best gluten free vanilla cake. Perfect texture and flavour. Leftover slices also freezed really well, perfect for lunchboxes. Thank you!
I’m so glad it turned out for you! Great to know it freezes well too 🙂
This cake recipe is lovely I used Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream worked great and monkfruit instead of sugar so yummy! I found that the middle was dense compared to the fluffy outer ring of the cake could this be the yoghurt? Also I used Almond milk. All flavours combined beautifully.
I’m glad the cake worked out with those substitutes! Using monkfruit can cause the cake to sink in the middle since sugar provides some structure to the cake. Glad it turned out otherwise though!
This is a great cake recipe! I used this one for my wedding cake. It was perfect texture and I received many compliments!
I’m so honored you used it for your wedding! Glad it turned out well and that you enjoyed it!
I would like to make this cake DF. Can I substitute almond milk for the dairy milk in the cake recipe?
Yes you can! You can also use Kite Hill dairy-free sour cream. I hope it turns out for you 🙂
We do not have access to no dairy sour cream, for a dairy free option could I use oat Yogurt and almond milk?
You could try unsweetened almond milk yogurt. I haven’t tried it with this so I can’t say for sure! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Will this work for cupcakes? My son has celiac, so hoping to do cupcakes for his birthday rather than a full cake.