Before we get started into what is THE BEST GLUTEN FREE CAKE RECIPE … ever, let me just tell you that I know cake.
I come from a long line of cake lovers – and frosting lovers, truth be told – and it’s not exaggerating to say that it’s critical that we have awesome gluten free cake recipes at our fingertips.
I have developed a great gluten free pound cake recipe, gluten free angel food cake recipe, gluten free lemon cake recipe, gluten free s’mores cake recipe, gluten free pineapple upside down cake recipe, gluten free black bottom cupcakes recipe, gluten free King cake recipe, gluten free red velvet cake recipe, Chocolate Beer Cake recipe … so many more gluten free cake and cupcake recipes that I’m getting tired of typing recipes …. You get the idea.
Oh, and I have a great gluten free yellow/white cake recipe that I have always used for gluten free birthday cakes and gluten free wedding cakes, but I wanted one that was lighter and frankly, required fewer odd ingredients.
So I worked and worked, taste-tested and taste-tested (I’m wiping my brow over here), until I was sure that this was IT!
And in case the reviews on this recipe haven’t convinced you yet, let me assure you that this really is THE BEST GLUTEN FREE CAKE RECIPE!
It truly is.
Bear in mind that the ingredients given are all here for a reason; making substitutions will change the texture and taste of the cake, trust me. Including, and especially, the gluten free flour ingredient.
My gfJules™ Flour is unlike any other; using another blend will absolutely produce a different result.
So please don’t email me or leave a comment that the recipe didn’t turn out as pictured or as described if you use another gluten free flour blend. Gluten free flour blends are ALL quite different; even if you think the ingredients look similar or even the same.
For example, in my gfJules Gluten Free Flours, I use not one but TWO different gluten free modified starches.
Neither of these ingredients are available on store shelves, so there is no way anyone could ever fully replicate my blend because of those ingredients alone, not to mention all the others.
My award-winning gfJules Flour has taken me years to perfect and I modify and improve it periodically when a new ingredient becomes available, or to make it non-GMO, as I did in 2014. Using this blend will make all your gluten free baking better, but for the purposes of this discussion, it will definitely make the best gluten free cake (gluten free chocolate OR gluten free vanilla cake).
As with any recipe, I urge you to also follow the DIRECTIONS. You may be shocked to see the difference it makes just to bake a cake using the exact same ingredients but adding them in a different order!
I’m getting a bit tweaky here, but enough folks write in with questions and problems with baking that I like to cut off potential issues at the pass and show people what NOT to do before things go wrong, so take a look at what can happen with this lovely cake if you simply add the sugar at the end instead of with the dry ingredients at the beginning of the recipe, as specified:
That’s right, the INGREDIENTS matter and the DIRECTIONS matter!
So take a moment to gather the ingredients I recommend and take a moment to read the directions and follow them. You will be rewarded with … the Best Gluten Free Cake! It’s worth it!
And if you’re going to make layer upon layer of these delicious cakes (which I highly recommend), you’re going to need a super tall cake safe.
I love mine, pictured above, because it also collapses to save space! (Click here for the gluten-free sprinkles I used)
If you want sugar-free, I recommend either Swerve or Just Like Sugar. If you can tolerate unrefined coconut palm sugar, it works great in this recipe but makes the cake a darker color. But again, ingredient switches will always change the results.
For more on the differences in gluten free flours, hop here.
For more on converting your favorite recipes to gluten free, hop here.
If you need to replace the eggs in this recipe, check out my favorite egg replacers and recipes here.
And after experimenting for what felt like eons, I nailed this cake recipe and am so excited to share it with you. I now firmly believe it to be my most versatile, delicious, light, and EASY gluten free cake recipe yet!
I’ve given instructions on how to make this a white cake, yellow cake or chocolate cake, but don’t let that stop your imagination! I can’t wait to hear what kind of yummy chocolate swirl, mint, peanut butter, salted caramel or other delicious concoction you come up with using this new super easy cake recipe as your base.
Come back and share with us all when you try this recipe, and if you put any other delicious flavor spin on it!
Makes one 9- or 10-inch round cake or 12 cupcakes; double for 2 layer cake.
BTW — these pre-cut 9-inch round parchment rounds are my favorite way to line the cake pans and lift the cakes out easily!
The Best Gluten Free Cake Recipe
The Best Gluten Free Cake Recipe
After years (and years and years) of recipe testing, I can say with complete confidence that this is truly the BEST gluten free cake recipe! Light and airy, moist and flavorful, this cake takes the cake!
Ingredients
Note: double for two 8 or 9-inch round pans or 24 cupcakes or 9x13 sheet pan
- 1 ½ cups (202.5 grams) gfJules® All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1 cup less 1 Tbs. granulated cane sugar (Monkfruit works as a sub)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/3 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
- 2 eggs or substitute (for white cake, use 4 egg whites)**
- 1/3 cup mild flavored vegetable oil of choice (safflower, non-GMO canola, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil melted, etc.)
- 1 Tbs. white vinegar (lemon juice works as a sub but imparts lemon flavor)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I like Rodelle®)
- ½ cup milk of choice (dairy or non-dairy; skim or fat-free not recommended)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325° F.
Line with parchment rounds or oil one 8 or 9-inch round cake pan or line 12 muffin cups with cupcake papers.
Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Sift the dry ingredients (including sugar) together in a bowl.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients except milk. If making white cake, first whip egg whites or aquafaba sub quickly to fluff, then add other liquids: oil; vinegar and vanilla (plus chocolate syrup, if using).
Slowly pour dry mix into the liquids and begin to stir, adding the milk while stirring to keep the flour from flying up and out of the bowl while mixing. Continue to beat at medium speed just until the lumps are gone and the batter is smooth and no longer lumpy -- no more than 1 minute.
Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Allow to rest in the pan before baking for 10 minutes (not required if pressed for time).
Bake times:
8" pans = 40+ minutes
9" pans = 40 minutes
(double recipe) 9x13 pan = 42 minutes
cupcakes = 20-25 minutes
Test with a toothpick before removing from the oven. When done, the toothpick should come out clean (not wet) or with a few crumbs attached when inserted into the center of the cake. Your oven may take longer to bake, and cake pan size matters.
Glass, metal and ceramic pans all alter the bake time, so check for done-ness before removing from the oven. Pressing gently onto the top of the cake, it should feel firm and bounce back.
Remove to cool on a wire rack. To remove the cake, gently invert the cake by flipping it upside down onto your hand, removing the pan, then returning the cake to the wire rack or a serving plate.
Frost with white or chocolate frosting. (There are plenty more frosting recipes where that came from - just search the "recipes" tab on my site!)
Notes
**To Replace 4 Egg Whites in White Cake:
1/2 cup aquafaba + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, whipped until frothy
**To Replace 2 Eggs in Yellow or Chocolate Cake:
- 1/4 cup dairy or non-dairy yogurt (not Greek style, not fat-free) OR vegan mayo
PLUS
- 1 recipe of commercial gluten free egg replacer like Ener-G® Egg Replacer (total equivalent of 1 egg substituted)
*For 1 recipe Chocolate Cake (double for 2 cakes or 24 cupcakes) add:
- ¼ cup cocoa (Dutched)
- ¼ cup additional milk of choice
- 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 76Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 32mgSodium 230mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 1g
Make your next birthday or wedding or anniversary or office party … even better! Make the Best Gluten Free Cake Recipe or use my gfJules Best Gluten Free Cake MIX!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Pin it for later!
Jules, I just found your recipe for this cake and would love to make it for Easter Sunday. The problem is I would have to use another gluten-free flour mixture or make my own mixture. Any recommendations on other brands? Thank you 🙂
Hi Connie, check out this article on making your own blend. It won’t be quite the same but should work out for you.
Happy Baking!
~jules
Thank you so much for this recipe! I used Ener-G egg replacer and it was PERFECT. It’s been years since I’ve had anything resembling a cupcake/cake. I can’t believe that such an easy recipe made such a delicious cake. Can’t wait to turn this into a lemon cake!
Thanks SO much for sharing!
Hi Heather, I’m so glad you didn’t turn away from the recipe because it looked so easy! And thanks for letting me know that the Ener-G egg replacer worked well in this recipe, too! May all your baking from here on out be happy!
~jules
The absolute best and most versatile cake recipe yet! Jules, as we discussed, I followed the cake recipe as instructed, folded in 1 can premium apple pie filling (no high fructose corn syrup), about a cup of chopped pecans and a tsp. of apple pie spice. Used a slightly smaller baking dish than a 9×11. Can I just say……WINNER! My niece who is not gluten free wanted apple turnover so I tried this. She loved it and wants me to make it again. My husband, who is gluten free/dairy free/yeast free loved it too. This is my 5th cake in two weeks using this recipe. Thank you!!!!
I’m SOOOOOO happy it turned out for you, Patti! I can’t wait to try your mix-ins! Maybe even tonight! YAY – so happy you didn’t give up and now you have this amazing cake back in your lives. Happy Dance!
~jules
I just made this with almond flavouring, anis and poppy seed. Once cooled, top each piece with a little cherry pie filling and a dollop of coconut whipped cream. Sooooo light, fluffy and YUMMMY.
Oh Patti – This sounds DIVINE!!! I’m so glad you love the cake recipe! I can’t wait to try it with your toppings next time!
~jules
Cake is even better today. I love the soft texture! I also made it last weekend as a dairy free tres leches cake and my husband LOVED it!
Wow – that’s GREAT to hear! My gfJules Flour has a natural preservative in it so that baked goods last longer, which is great, especially when so much other GF food is only good fresh out of the oven. It’s great to know your cake, muffins, cookies, pie … all taste great the next day and the next! And yay, you! for making the dairy-free tres leches! So glad your hubbie loved it too! WIN!!!!
~jules
Best gluten free cake recipe I’ve tried so far! This is my new go to cake recipe. I do have a question, Jules. My aunt made a “are you kidding me cake” recipe using regular box mix (she is not gluten free), 3 eggs and a can of pie filling. It was really good and I would like to try to make one for my gluten free husband. Do you think the dry ingredients of your recipe, the 3eggs and pie filling would bake up the same? I’m thinking not, but I wanted to ask your expert opinion. Maybe there is another way to make it work?
Hi Patti, I think these are often called “Dump Cakes,” and I need to make one myself sometime (it’s on my very long to-do list!). I think where I would start is to use these ingredients in place of the vanilla cake mix:
2 2/3 cup (360 grams) gfJules™ Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup granulated cane sugar
dash salt
1 package gluten-free vanilla pudding dry mix (Jell-O Brand = 3.4 oz; Dr. Oetker = 3.8 oz – either works; both are currently Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)
Once that’s added to the pie filling and eggs, see what the consistency is like – if it’s too thick, add more pie filling or a can of crushed pineapple or even your milk of choice to get it to be the proper consistency. Then you may want to place a few thin pats of butter (or non-dairy sub) on top around the top of the batter to help it brown a bit.
I made something similar with my gfJules Cookie Mix and it worked great (Easiest Gluten Free Dessert Recipe), if you want to check that out.
If you try this Dump Cake version first, let me know how it goes! I’m super curious now!!!
~jules
Thanks Jules. I will try that and let you know. But, the cake I mentioned is a little different than a dump cake. I thought it was the same too until I looked at both recipes. The Are You Kidding Me cake, all three items get mixed together first before going into the pan. I may try your version but are you following the Dump Cake preparation or mixing it all together?
Hi Jules, I tried your suggestion above. Outside browned nice, probably didn’t need butter pats. Unfortunately, the middle was doughy and raw like. May try it with your regular vanilla cake recipe and then fold in cherry pie filling. Thoughts?
Hmmmm, that’s too bad. I need to work on that recipe myself and see what I can figure out now that you have me curious! Maybe needs to be baked in a larger pan or even muffin tins! So much to consider! And regarding your suggestion, give it a shot. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
~jules
This was awesome! I used soybean oil [store brand vegetable oil], and cut parchment to fit the 9-inch pans. It came out better than any GF cake recipe I’d tried before. BTW–the go-ahead and advice for these two aspects of the recipe came from Jules herself.
Since I was making a strawberry-filled cake for my mother’s birthday, and it has a ton of almond flavored whipped cream frosting, I added 1/4 tsp. almond extract to the vanilla already called for in the cake batter. I might increase it to 1/2 tsp. next time–but this may not work for you if your frosting isn’t almond, too.
It would be great for a wedding cake, but maybe too much for a child’s birthday cake. Kids prefer vanilla. 🙂
Thanks so much for taking the time to add your recipe notes, Bonnie!
~jules
Where do I buy your flour in Australia please
Hi Rangi, if you put the items in your cart in my shop, then select International Shipping, then you can select Australia and go from there. I’ll tell you, as I’m sure you’d expect, that shipping from the US to Australia is expensive. The first 10lbs seem to be the most expensive, with only an incremental increase thereafter, so most of our international customers order a lot at one time or share with friends to reduce the per pound shipping price. I hope that helps!
~jules
Trying this for cake pops today. 🙂
Yum! Save me one, Valeri!
~jules
I’m new to GF, do it for a couple kiddos in my daughter’s class. Do you know if candy coating that you melt for dipping is GF. I read the package and seems like just lots of sugar. No flour or gluten mentioned.
Hi Valeri – how nice of you to do that for some of the kids in your daughter’s class! Usually the candy coating is fine, and sounds like the one you’re looking at is as well. Basically sugar and sometimes some stabilizers but usually not gluten. In chocolate and candy, look for “malt” or “barley malt” as the more typical gluten culprits.
~jules
Hello! Does anyone know if there is a way to convert this recipe into chocolate properly? Just don’t want to mess it up, thanks!
Never mind i see the recipe notes!
Great! Glad you found them!
~jules
Making this today!
Can I use melted butter for the oil?
Hi Deborah, I haven’t tried it but that should work. Let me know how it turns out!
~jules
These cupcakes were wonderful! Made them yesterday. We used just egg white, as someone has an allergy to egg yolk, and they still came out perfect and delicious, the texture was great. Will definitely use this recipe again.
So glad you had great results, even just using egg whites. Usually that substitute is fairly seamless, but I’m glad to know it worked so well for your cupcakes. And how sweet of you to make them that way so even more people could enjoy them too!
~jules
How do measure 1/3 teaspoon?
Hi Hannah, I usually just measure a rounded 1/4 teaspoon. It’s ok if it’s not exact. 🙂
~jules
Thanks also I love your pizza crust
YAY! That’s one of my top favorites too, Hannah! 🙂
~jules
most white vinegars are made from wheat
Hi Jesse, the distillation process renders any product — mo matter what it’s made from — gluten free. If you understand the distillation process, you’ll understand that it’s not possible for large proteins containing gluten to pass through distillation. Therefore, any vinegar which is distilled is gluten free. Malt vinegar is the only vinegar that still contains gluten. I hope that helps explain it.
~jules
Hi Jules can I use simple syrup on this cake to keep it moist for longer?
Hi Desiree, yes, you could certainly do that. I do something similar to that in this gluten free lemon cake recipe where I make a lemon simple syrup and drizzle over the cake (poking holes first) after baking. I’m sure it would be super yummy!
~jules
Where do you buy your white vinegar? Every where I’ve looked they only carry distilled white vinegar. I know there’s a difference between the two and I don’t want to use the wrong one and have the cake come out bad. Thanks in advance.
Hi Vickie – white vinegar is distilled so you should should be fine with any white or distilled vinegar. I hope that makes it easier!
~jules
I just purchased your flour. I Cant wait to try it. I’m testing it out for my daughters wedding next year. I’m thinking of making it in a six inch round pan and then six cupcakes.. does this amount only make one 8-9″ cake? Most store bought cakes will make two 8-9″ rounds. Thank you for your help.
Hi Vickie – I can’t wait to hear what you think! Yes, this recipe makes one 8-9inch cake but it’s easily doubled to make two. I had shared it this way because I had a lot of folks wanting to only make 12 cupcakes and I wanted to provide a way for them to do that. I hope you enjoy the recipe and congratulations on your daughter’s engagement! SO exciting!!!!
~jules
I just found your recipe on Pinterest while searching for “delicious gluten free cake recipes.” Our daughter’s second birthday is this weekend (in 2 day!) and I want to make a cake and cupcakes for everyone. I just have questions about the frosting. Do you do a crumb layer that sits in the fridge for a bit before actually frosting it? I did that with “regular” cakes, but I’m not sure how that’d work with a gf one. I was hoping to make the cake today or tomorrow, wrap it on a plate, frost it Saturday morning and serve it Saturday afternoon. Will that make this recipe too dry if I do that? Thanks so much!!
Hi Ashelee – doing a crumb coat is always the best way to ensure a smooth, crumb-free frosting, but it’s not required. I would say that you should do what you’re used to and comfortable with, in terms of decorating this cake. Frosting will help keep the cake moist, so doing the crumb coat before wrapping and leaving the cake out to frost later would be the best way to help seal in the moisture. Happy birthday to your daughter! I hope she loved her cake!!!
~jules
How do I actually make the Yellow Gluten Free cake? Shouldn’t it have the egg yellow or the whole egg to help with the yellow color?
Hi La Quetta, as the recipe notes, use two full eggs or if you want a white cake, use all whites instead. I hope that helps!
~jules
How do you measure 1/3 teaspoon? Or is that a typo? Thank you!
Hi Jodi, I usually do a rounded 1/4 teaspoon to measure that. 🙂
~jules
I love this recipes and have used it several times for the cake decorating classes I’m taking. However, I want to make a cake for my coworker who is diabetic and said almond flour has less carbs. Do you know if the measurements to this recipe would be the same when using almond flour or would there need to be adjustments?
Hi Sarah,
The cake recipe would need to be adjusted for using almond meal/flour because it is a totally different baking ingredient. Instead of trying to alter this recipe, I’d recommend using another one like this one for Lemon Almond Cake (it’s super yummy, but has a different texture because of the almond meal).
Let me know how you and she like it!
~jules
That sounds delicious too…another one I’ll be trying. I was actually going to make a chocolate cake. Do you have any suggestions for an almond flour chocolate cake recipe?
Hi, Jules:
I want to try this cake; how much would the Jules GF flour weigh to get the 1 1/2 cups?
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Deb, 1 1/2 cups of my flour is 202.5grams. Enjoy the recipe!
~jules
Yum! Tried this recipe out for my daughters birthday party this weekend and we were all happy with it! The gluten free cakes I have tried in the past have turned out so dense, but this was much lighter. It had a wonderful consistency and flavor. I typically sub oils for butter, and I did that with this recipe and it turned out great! Thank you for such a great flour and recipe!
SO happy to hear it, Alicia!!! Happy birthday to your daughter and happy baking to you!!!!!! It’s good to know you can bake a delicious gluten-free cake that doesn’t have to be dense, isn’t it? 🙂
~jules
So I’m making this again and I’m going to try chocolate. I’m making it for this weekend, and so far, I haven’t been able to get my hands on chocolate syrup that doesn’t have any of the gunk my daughter can’t have in it on such short notice. Will it make much of a difference if I leave the chocolate syrup out? Thanks!
Hi Alicia, the chocolate syrup is definitely needed in this recipe to give the extra chocolate flavor you’ll want in a chocolate cake. You could try another of my chocolate cake recipes without syrup. Just search chocolate and cake on my site and you’ll see some other options. I hope that helps!
~jules
Thanks! I ended up realizing that I could just make my own chocolate syrup from scratch (it was super easy!), so I was able to use this recipe after all! Just pulled my second batch out of the oven, and my husband and I taste tested one and they are so good! Thanks again! 🙂
Perfect!! So glad you were resourceful and that you loved the recipe!!!
~jules
I’m going to try this recipe as written the first time thru. Truth be told, I’m always changing recipes to see if I can sub out apple sauce for oil and sugar substitute for sugar. I have had decent luck using Lakanto brand Monk Fruit Sweetener which is a blend of monk fruit and erythritol. Have you or any of your readers tried these changes?
Hmmm, I haven’t tried that brand nor a blend of monk fruit and erythritol — I’ve used some other brands of blown/baking sugar substitutes that weren’t blends, but not in this recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you! Make sure whatever you use for sweetener is still granulated and in the same proportion. In other words, don’t use the highly concentrated sweeteners because the recipe is written for the volume of granulated sweetener that is called for; it will throw the recipe off to only use a few tablespoons instead.
~jules