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Easy Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake

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Thanks for sharing!

An easy gluten-free vanilla cake recipe that is tender and better than any bakery style gluten-free cake. You are going to love this gluten-free vanilla cake.

This gluten free dairy free vanilla cake is a spin off my gluten-free vanilla cupcakes. You guys have been asking for the best gluten-free vanilla cake recipe and here it is! If you are more of a gluten free chocolate person you are going to want to check out my easy gluten-free chocolate cake.

For more sweet treats check out my Gluten-Free Desserts.

A slice of gluten-free vanilla cake with chocolate frosting on a white plate with a fork.

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake

In case you were wondering, this gluten-free vanilla cake has the best texture. It’s light, tender, and it isn’t dry like many gluten-free vanilla cake recipes. Everyone agrees that this is the best gluten free vanilla cake. No need to ever buy a gluten-free vanilla cake mix at the store.

Several of my readers have been asking for a easy gluten-free vanilla cake recipe. I’ve had my gluten-free vanilla cupcakes up for a while now and they get raving reviews. Please read through this entire post. It’s chalked full of tips for making the best gluten-free vanilla cake.

This gluten free dairy free vanilla cake recipe isn’t vegan. It uses eggs. If you need a vegan cake you can check out Minimalist Bakers 1 Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake. The other option is to use the equivalent of a flaxegg, but your cake texture will vary.

Top down view of a gluten-free vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and colored sprinkles.

How to make gluten-free vanilla cake

There are a couple of tips and tricks to getting the right texture with this gluten-free vanilla cake recipe. First, you have to follow the recipe. So many people comment on recipe posts saying that they made a ton of substitutions and the recipe didn’t turn out. If you make a substitution, you are doing so on your own.

Other than the dairy substitute, I haven’t tried other substitutes in this recipe.

Second, you want to mix at the right time and not over-mix. When you are beating the oil, sugar, and eggs you’ll want to beat it for the time listed. This adds air which in turn helps the cake rise. Beating any longer will cause the batter to stiffen.

Steps to make a Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cake

  1. Make sure to preheat your oven before you begin.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl combine oil and sugar.
  3. Add eggs and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for one minute. Add flour, salt, baking powder, dairy-free milk, and vanilla; beat at medium speed for one minute.
  4. Spoon batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the centers springs back when touched and cakes are lightly browned.
  5. Let cool in the pan on rack for five minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans onto rack and cool completely before frosting.
  6. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.

For the detailed instructions and ingredients for this gluten-free vanilla cake recipe please see the complete recipe below.

Can I use dairy in this cake?

Yes, you can use regular dairy butter and dairy milk in this recipe. Just note that if you use butter instead of oil in the recipe, the cake will be a little heavier. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a smidge more dense.

A slice of gluten-free vanilla cake with chocolate frosting being served from a cake plate.

What causes a gluten-free cake to crack on top?

You might see cracks if your temperature is too high, or your cake is placed in the oven too high. The heat of baking activates the baking powder and causes it to release carbon dioxide, which forms bubbles and raises the cake. If your oven is too hot, that process is sped up. Make sure to place your cake in the center, and regularly check your oven’s temperature.

Another reason is if you are at a high altitude. If you are baking this gluten-free vanilla cake at a high altitude consider cutting the baking powder in half.

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mixes

We’ve tried several gluten-free vanilla cake mixes. Here are a few that we enjoyed if you are wanting to keep one on hand. You can also mix the dry ingredients for this gluten-free vanilla cake and store them in a jar, essentially making your own mix.

  • Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix
  • Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix
  • King Arthur Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix
  • Pamela’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix

Some of my favorite gluten-free cake recipes:

If you are looking for cupcake recipes, just search cupcakes in the search bar on the right.

A slice of gluten-free vanilla cake with chocolate frosting on a white plate with a fork.

Why did my gluten-free vanilla cake sink?

There are several reason why gluten-free cakes sink, one is from over beating the batter and adding too much air. Also, cakes often will sink when there is too much moisture. This is more common in humid climates where added moisture can collect naturally in ingredients such as flour. When this occurs, the center of the gluten-free vanilla cake rises rapidly and then falls during baking.

In higher elevations, the leavening agent works twice as hard and may cause the batter to rise rapidly and sink before it’s had a chance to set up. All these tips are relevant to most cake recipes, not just this gluten-free vanilla cake recipe.

If you need a sugar free or low carb version you’ll want to check out this Keto Vanilla Cake. The recipe can also be made into cupcakes.

If you made this gluten-free vanilla cake recipe I want to hear from you! Please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know what you thought. This helps me and other readers know that you liked the recipe.

Happy Cooking and Baking,

Chrystal

Yield: 1 two-layer gluten-free vanilla cake

Easy Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake

Easy Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake

An easy gluten-free vanilla cake recipe that is tender and better than any bakery style gluten-free cake. You are going to love this gluten-free vanilla cake.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup (8 oz.) vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
  • 1 1/2 cups (320g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs (220g.), room temperature
  • 3 cups (425g.) all purpose gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
  • 1/2 teaspoon (3 g.) salt
  • 3 teaspoons (12g.) baking powder
  • 1 cup (8 oz.) dairy-free milk (or milk of choice)
  • 3 teaspoons (8g.) gluten-free vanilla extract

For the frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (115g) dairy-free butter (or regular 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) dairy-free milk (or regular milk)

Instructions

  1. For the cakes: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven. Grease two 8" or 9" pans with oil; set aside.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl combine oil and sugar.
  3. Add eggs and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for one minute. Add flour, salt, baking powder, dairy-free milk, and vanilla; beat at medium speed for one minute.
  4. Spoon batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the centers springs back when touched and cakes are lightly browned.
  5. Let cool in the pan on rack for five minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans onto rack and cool completely before frosting.
  6. 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.
  7. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.
  8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

  1. This recipe works best with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
  2. Room temperature eggs work best. To bring cold eggs to room temperature, run them under warm water for a couple of minutes.
  3. When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour. The best method really is to weight it but I don't have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet.
  4. Dairy - you can use regular dairy milk and dairy butter in this gluten-free vanilla cake recipe.
  5. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 562 Total Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 17g Cholesterol: 81mg Sodium: 292mg Carbohydrates: 72g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 49g Protein: 6g
This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.
© Chrystal
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts/Sweets
A slice of gluten-free vanilla cake with chocolate frosting being served from a cake plate.

Comments

    • This is my first time baking gluten-free. My gluten-free friends love this (my) cake.
      I bake as a hobby and the baking tips are very helpful.
      Questions: can I substitute vanilla for almond extract or use both? Can I use this recipe for cupcakes too?

      Reply

      • He Shellee,
        I’m so happy to hear that everyone loves it! Yes, you can switch out the extracts, or use both. For cupcakes, its slightly different. You can search vanilla cupcakes in the search bar and get the recipe.

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply

  2. Could you please recommend a gf flour mix alternative? Unfortunately we are unable to try the Bob Red Mill’s 1:1 as there’s an ingredient which might not be suitable. I’ve tried making a couple of gf flour blends but nothing stood out as perfect so far. Thanks heaps

    Reply

    • Hi Rhonda,
      Can you tell me what ingredient you are trying to stay away from and I will see what I can do to recommend a blend for you?

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  3. I made the vanilla cake for our Easter dessert. My family loved it. It did not have the texture of other gluten free recipes I have made and have already passed the recipe on. Thank you for developing it.

    Reply

    • Hi Becca,
      I am so glad your family loved it! Thank you for taking time to stop by and let me know.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  4. This recipe really is amazing. It comes together quickly and the cake is light and delicious. Instead of icing, I topped with whipped cream and strawberries. You’d never know this was gluten free. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Terri,
      I am so glad you liked this cake 🙂 Thank you for stopping by to let me know 🙂

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  5. Is it possible to bake this cake, as well as your gluten free chocolate cake, in a 9×13-inch pan? I don’t want to guess or use a regular cake recipe as a guide if you have tried this and have suggestions. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Phyllis,
      I have beaked them both in a 9 X 13 pan. I would start with 25 minutes and watch the center for doneness from there.

      I hope that helps,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  6. I made the gf cake today. Made them into cupcakes. Very moist and tastes good! Made them for my father for a get together tomorrow. I hope he likes them. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  7. Hi Chrystal,
    Just curious if the cake batter is quite thick? I didn’t think it was such a thick batter with the cupcake recipe so I am wondering if I did something wrong?

    Reply

    • Hi Vanessa,
      It’s sounds like something was missed or possibly too much flour was added? The batter should not be thick.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  8. Hi
    I live in France and I am unable to buy this brand. Is there a substitute for it ? Can I make the gluten free blend myself at home ?
    Thanks
    Kind Regards
    Preetha

    Reply

    • Hi Preetha,
      It’s available on Amazon in most countries, but if you can’t find it, you can make your own blend with potato startch, tapioca startch, rice flour, and sorghum flour.

      Hope that helps,
      Chrystal

      Reply

    • Hi Tricia,
      I am so glad you like this cake recipe 🙂 Yes, you can freeze the leftovers. Simple bring to room temperature when you are ready to enjoy it.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  10. So glad I found your page! I made the vanilla cake yesterday for a birthday, it is so tender and delicious! I used Krusteaz gf flour mix and it was delicious!

    Reply

    • Hi Margo,
      I’m so glad you found me too! Thank you for stopping by to let me know you loved this recipe and which flour blend you used. I have over 300 recipes and articles and I hope you find many more that you love.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  11. For a 9×13 glass pan would you lower the oven to 325?
    Also is any kind of unsweetened almond, oat, hemp milk ok? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Lo,
      I haven’t tried this in a glass pan yet, but you could lower the temp and watch it for doneness. Almond milk would work great!

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  12. Hi Chrystal, I made the mix for cupcakes for the 4th, they were a hit! Even my niece told my son “wow, they taste just like store bought ones!” Totally made my day, & my daughter’s, who is GF & DF!

    I made it again for her birthday a few days ago but only had 3 eggs….. I did the oil & baking powder sub….. it was a bit more dense & tad drier, but not bad! Everyone still liked it, even my picky son!

    Thanks again for posting an easy & great recipe!

    -Nicole

    Reply

    • Hi Nicole,
      So glad you like this cake! I haven’t tried the oil + baking powder sub myself but I’m glad it still turned out. Thank you for sharing.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  13. Hello! I made this recipe and it works great! BUT I was wondering, if i substitute 1/2 of the milk for reduced champagne, will it still work? I need to make a gluten free and dairy free champagne cake. Have you tried making it?

    Reply

    • Hi Mirza,
      I have a recipe for champagne cupcakes, if that helps. I haven’t made them into a cake yet, just cupcakes.
      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  14. I made this following the instructions almost to the T, and oh my goodness. SOOOOOO BOMB!!! One of the reasons it wasn’t to a T was because I didn’t crack each one at a time, but it still came out perfect! I also used a 13×9 glass baking dish. Thank you for this recipe! It’s bookmarked and will he my go to from now on!

    Reply

    • HI Eleyn,
      I am so happy to hear you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and let me know.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  15. This turned out perfect. Baked up light and airy. Will make this again. Have tried your lemon and vanilla cupcake. Amazing also.

    Reply

  17. I’m going to be making this cake over the weekend. Do you think it will still turn out the same if we add sprinkles to the batter before baking?

    Reply

    • Hi Ellen,
      I haven’t tried adding sprinkles to this cake recipe so I’m not sure. Depending on the sprikles, they can be finicky in cake recipes. If you try it please let me know how it turned out.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

    • Hi Michelle, which blend are you using. Just a heads up Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour doesn’t work well in this recipe. I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 (which has xanthan) and my blend in this recipe. Others have had success with Cup4Cup.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  20. This was my first time making gluten free cake, and it turned out great! I wanted to surprise a coworker with a cake she could actually eat. I followed the recipe to a T, including the tips about mixing times and measuring by weight. There was the perfect amount of frosting for the amount of cake, too, I was pleasantly surprised by that. My coworker loved it!

    Reply

    • I am so glad you liked it and that your coworker loved it. Thank you for taking time to stop by and let me know.

      All my best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  21. Hi. Have you tried putting in Instead of vanilla putting into the cake batter? This is gonna be my first time trying to make a gluten-free cake. I normally make regular cakes and I add A box of pudding into it to make it more moist. This is going to be my first time trying to make a gluten-free cake.

    Reply

  22. Hi I’m going to try this recipe but I’m actually trying to attempt a larger cake to make a firetruck cake for my son. Can I use a larger rectangle baking tray? Would the baking time be the same?

    Reply

    • Hi Bonna,
      I haven’t used a larger baking pan, but it should work. I would start with the recommended baking time, and watch for doneness.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

      • Hi again
        How should I keep the cake if I’m to make the cake for my son a day before the party?
        I’m thinking of icing it a day before as well.
        Will the cake stay nice and moist?
        So far I’ve tried 2 different gluten free recipes from other sites and haven’t turned out well so I’m hoping this one will
        Thank you Bonna

        Reply

        • Hi Bonna,
          You can frost the cake the day before. The frosting will help keep the cake tender. If you don’t frost it, after it cools completely wrap the cake so it’s airtight, that way no moisture escapes. I hope that helps.

          Best,
          Chrystal

          Reply

  23. Hi. I just made this today and found that not only did the center crack (discussed above) but in both halves of the cake, the very center did not seem to bake as well. It looked as if there was a slightly raw patch on the top of each layer. As a result I baked it a bit longer and covered the layers until I felt that the cake was actually cooked.

    Any comments on what might cause this? I used the Bob’s flour and carefully measured all ingredients by weight, and was careful with mixing times. I have not yet tasted the cake and it might be fine but this was a bit concerning. I had really high hopes for it based on the taste of the chocolate cake which is superb.

    Reply

    • Hi Libby,
      Did you use bob’s red mill 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour (blue bag) or did you use bob’s red mill all purpose gluten free flour?

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  24. Hi! This recipe looks amazing and I’m excited to try it! Can I bake, wrap, and freeze the layers? I’d like to bake and decorate on separate days. Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • Hello Melissa,
      Yes, you most certainly can bake the cake and freeze the cakes, wrapped. Let me know how they turn out!

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

      • The layers rose beautifully and smelled amazing! I made 4 layers, wrapped and froze them. I used 3 layers for the cake I made for a birthday party. It was delicious and received rave reviews! Thank you!

        Reply

        • Hi Melissa,
          I am so glad you liked it and that it got rave reviews 🙂 Thank you for stopping back by to let me know.

          Best,
          Chrystal

          Reply

  25. Hi Chrystal. I am going to make this cake this weekend. 1 cup of oil is a lot.. Any substitutions? I usually use applesauce in place of oil. Thank you in advance.

    Reply

    • Hi Rosalie,
      Thank you for stopping by. 1 cup might seem alot, but it’s the correct amount for a two layer cake. I haven’t tried using all applesauce in place of the oil, but I have tested it with half applesauce, and a half cup of oil if that helps.

      Let me know how it turns out!

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

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