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!
I didn’t have the exact ingredients so I worked with what I had. I made this recipe with:
3/4 cup Pilsbury Gluten Free flour
3/4 cup half coconut flour
3 eggs (to hold coconut flour together better)
1 stick softened vegetable spread
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp imitation vanillaI
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
I used dairy-free milk and followed the recommended amount for baking powder and baking soda.
The cake came out SO good! It lasted a few days. I’m glad I came across this recipe! I give this recipe 5 stars because it is a really good base recipe to get you started on a gluten free cake. I have no idea how the cake tastes when following this recipe exactly, but I am happy with how mine turned out despite me having to make lots of substitutions with what I had in my kitchen.
Hi Elle – I’m so happy to hear that you love this recipe! And thank you for sharing the changes you made – to know that it still turned out is fantastic news! I can’t wait to hear how much you love this cake when you get to try it with my gfJules Flour instead. I know you’ll love how light and fluffy it will be!
~jules
It came out with the consistency of cornbread. I was making this for a friend for her birthday, now I have to start over.
HI you have no oven temperature in the recipe, can you tell me what it is please
350F is the temp you need. Enjoy!
~jules
I was excited to find this recipe but you say to not use non dairy milk. My granddaughter needs GF. And dairy free options. What can I expect if I use almond milk?
Hi Mary Ann – I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean about me saying to not use non-dairy milk?? My family is dairy-free as well, and all we use is non-dairy. Almond milk works great in this recipe!
~jules
Great, simple recipe! The ingredients are easily found in my pantry. It was enjoyed by those who also eat wheat based cake.
So happy to hear it, Noko! Sounds like a recipe win, to me!
~jules
I made this recipe for my daughter’s 5th birthday cake. I made it as a Rainbow cake. It was quite thick & gloopy when I was adding the food colouring & I was quite worried about the extra beating required to get the colouring in to the cake. I did add some milk in order to loosen it up a bit. I used my own blend of flour based on GF Jules advice for making your own blend. It did have wholemeal (?) buckwheat flour in it?! I am sorry to say that from a colour perspective it failed (random flecks of colour only, I clearly needed it to be a much stronger colour to start with). However, from a bake perspective it was AMAZING!! I only wish I had tasted the cake before I made another batch & used someone’s else recipe, which didn’t rise properly). This cake on the other hand is light & fluffy, doesn’t crumble, super tasty! I made 5 of them & froze them & they defrost wonderfully. In fact I love freezing cakes when you are making a big one. It makes it much easier to handle delicate gf cakes when they are frozen – not that this cake needs it, as it is not delicate (altho it’s light as a feather). I also love the way you give metric measurements as well as cups (the cup recipe is the bain of the British baker’s life). Thank you.
Hi Anja, I’m SO happy they turned out spectacularly for you! Sometimes the batter stage is hard to know what the end result may be like, and with a different blend, there’s really nothing to go by to predict, so all in all I’d say you had a huge CAKE WIN! I’ve been trying to go back and add metric measurements to help bakers like you (and me – I like to be precise!), so I’m glad that’s helpful as well. Happy birthday to your daughter!
~jules
Hi again I also substituted the cane sugar for granulated sugar and I used olive oil.
Great cake! I made cupcakes and put strawberries and cream on them. I used a blend of brown rice flour potato and tapioca starches.
I found it a bit too sweet so I will reduce the sugar next time. Is there something I can do to make it a little more moist? All in all though the best white cake I’ve made!
Hi Chrisse, thanks for letting me know! The reason it’s not as moist as it could be is because of the brown rice flour. Have you tried my gfJules Flour blend? It’s light and soft, has no taste and definitely no grit. Here’s more info for you!
Happy baking!
~jules
I just pulled your cake from my oven-(well, kind of your caked with a few kitchen inventory subs/coco palm sugar, grape seed oil, acv, I mistakenly reached for almond extract new brand/bottle got confused so this one will be almond flavored with cherry topping). The baked finished cake looks lovely! Delightfully domed, with a fine crumb, golden in color- I am sure it will fabulous. (keto can’t eat, but hubby will!)
I would love the opportunity to learn from you! Your measure of BS and BP is perplexing me. And I was hopeful you may shed light on how you arrived at such opposite – odd measure. Is that because of your flour performance knowledge? I know there is a precise scientific explanation, and I would very much love to learn it. I think it would help me achieve better results in my own creations. The vinegar addition is familiar to me as my classic red velvet utilizes it and many others. Can’t wait to try more of your work. Thanks! PS. I thought the topping was tri colored pepper corns! : )
Will this recipe work with a GF flour that does not contain xanthan gum? I cannot tolerate any gums. I add psyllium powder to my baked foods in its place.
Hi Gina, it’s hard to say since all gluten free flour blends are so different and behave so differently in recipes. Check out this article on gluten free flours and blends to make a good blend with psyllium husk. Hope that helps!
~jules
My kids and I enjoy trying new recipes and have fun doing it. However, none of us know what we are doing other than following the recipe. My question is: how would you add the other flavors (like pb or mint etc)? Do you substitute? Do you just guess at it and pray for the best? Lol
Hi Melissa, for something like mint, you would choose peppermint extract and use in place of vanilla extract. You could also add crushed peppermint candies -yum! For peanut butter, I’d suggest using peanut butter powder and replacing some of the flour with it instead. Perhaps start with 1/4 cup and see if that’s peanut buttery enough? Have fun!
~jules
This recipe is great! The batter was thick at first, but after a while it loosened up! I used this as a cake for the 4th and everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing this- I really approve of this recipe. Also, your GF flour worked great with this!
( going to use it) ( hope everyone likes it )
So glad everyone loved it, Ellen! It can be unusual to work with gluten free batters at first, and it’s hard to know what to expect in the finished product, but I’m glad you stuck with it and enjoyed a delicious cake in the end!
~jules
This recipe helped me as I cant have, gluten, wheat, dairy, and egg! For a simple egg substitute, I recommend 2 mashed bananas!
So glad to hear it, Sully!! Thanks for letting us know what you used as an egg substitute in this recipe!
~jules
I need to make a gluten free wedding cake. Have you ever tried making larger layers. Something like 12” or 14”?
Hi Lisa, I have baked this cake recipe in much larger layers, so I know it works. I haven’t tried this recipe in larger layers, just 9 inch rounds, but it would probably be ok. I just like the other recipe for structure in larger pans.
You could also use my lemon cake recipe, depending on the flavors the couple prefers.
Let me know what you decide to do and how they turn out!
~jules
I am going to use your recipe to make a bridal shower cake. I have two questions. 1 does regular baking powder have gluten? I have read something about gluten free BP. And 2. I am making a pink ombré cake with 3 different pinks from light to dark. Do you suggest I use the vanilla for flavor or do you have an idea of what flavor “pink” might be that I could add for flavoring. Thanks.
Hi Susan, what a nice thing you’re doing! You should be fine with regular baking powder. Many also state gluten-free on the label. Regarding the pinks, I would still use vanilla flavoring and then you could sub out some of the liquid called for in the recipe with pureed strawberries, as in this cake recipe. You still will want to add food coloring for the darker pinks though. I hope that helps! Send me pics when you make them!
~jules
Fantastic recipe! My family all said it was the best GF free cake that they have tasted, high, and
a lovely even texture throughout. I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose GF-free flour and slightly less milk and olive oil to compensate for the high humidity of where I live in Singapore. I also swapped granulated cane sugar out for coconut palm sugar, which is a wetter in texture. The ingredients are all things we have in the kitchen which made this recipe such a gem. Thanks very much for sharing!
I’m so glad you were able to enjoy the recipe, even with some different ingredients. Did you know that there is a store in Singapore that sells my gfJules Flour and baking mixes? It’s called GlutenFreeSG.com. Here’s the link to my products in their store: https://glutenfreesg.com/product-category/exclusive/usa/gfjules/
Hope that helps you have access to even more delicious foods!
~jules
Hi, I love this recipe!! The cake is nice and high and tastes great and I’ve made the chocolate and vanilla. I used the GF 1 to 1 flour and it turned out amazing…no problems.. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe….
So happy you loved this cake with my flour – it’s so nice to have a go-to GREAT GF Cake!
~jules
Hi Jules! I do love this flour and have tried this recipe many times- can you tell us what the texture of the cake batter should be when mixed properly? We get an “ok” cake- certainly better than most GF things we have ever made with other flours, that is for certain! 🙂
Mix is gummy, stringy and my son says ” looks like snot”- sorry, just truly what it looks like. 🙁 Also, so very very thick- more like a bread batter.
Recipe used exactly as written, with your flour and coconut oil ( melted)
I also made your Irish cream cupcakes- turned out lovely- but again, the batter was so strange I almost threw it out….
Can you describe what we should be seeing? I never know if it is correct or not…
Hi Billie Jo – I’m glad that the cakes turn out well, even if the batter is odd. I wouldn’t say that your description of the batter is normally what I see, but maybe it’s the coconut oil? I don’t use melted coconut oil in my cakes, generally. Like in the Best Gluten Free Cake, I use safflower oil or sometimes sunflower oil, or non-GMO canola oil when I have it. I’d love to know if you try something else besides melted coconut oil, if that makes a difference. Let me know! And you can always email us directly at [email protected] with any recipe questions so we can chat back and forth about it. Hope that helps!
~jules
I have the same situation with the batter, but the cake always turns out good! I’ve made it several times and the batter is gummy, stringy, and very thick. I would like to know what I’m doing wrong though! I use EnerG egg replacer because my daughter is allergic to eggs so maybe that’s contributing to the issue. I use canola oil and regular dairy milk. I have wondered if it’s due to over-beating it maybe? I’ve certainly tried not to…
Hi Jessica, the most important part is that it turns out well!
I suspect that the Ener-G is the problem with the batter though. Maybe try 1/2 Ener-G and 1/2 applesauce or another egg substitute, and you may need to add more milk at the outset while mixing. I don’t want to counsel you to add to much more milk though, since you say it still turns out great. Too much liquid would throw off the proportions.
~jules
Thank you, I will give this a try next week when I make my daughters birthday cake! The stickiness is mainly a problem when trying to separate into cupcakes or spread into a pan.
Wishing you luck, Jessica! And happy bday to your daughter!!!
~jules