Who doesn’t love birthday cake? I especially love making gluten free birthday cake for events where I’m the only gluten-free person and no one else can tell the difference!
If you’ve missed out on this tradition for even one birthday (or any other occasion, for that matter!), make up for it by celebrating now. I’ve heard from lots of readers who have used this gluten free birthday cake recipe for wedding cakes as well, so get to baking — this cake is cause for celebration! (Hop here for cupcakes recipe!)
This year, I got lucky and enjoyed this delicious recipe on my birthday without even having to make it myself! My son said it scored a 10 on a scale of 1-10 and my daughter (not to be outdone) said it scored an “infinity!”
The other cool thing about this recipe, is that it has become famous! This recipe was used (on a MUCH larger scale, to build the World’s Tallest Gluten-Free Cake in Washington DC on May 4, 2011! The Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse baked 180 (give or take) of these cakes for the 1in133.org event to raise awareness of the need for gluten-free food labeling.
After being baked en masse, frozen, shipped, stored, set out to thaw for 2 days, cut and assembled into a giant tower, ogled at for hours, then served, this gluten free recipe still pleased the crowd! Just imagine how good it is fresh baked!
I’ve also recently experimented and found a great way to make this gluten free birthday cake recipe even better without any funky ingredients. It’s kindof amazing, actually. Just buy some gluten free instant pudding mix (vanilla or chocolate, depending on which kind of cake you’re making) and measure out 1/4 cup, per my recipe. It’s like magic! It helps give this cake some extra structure and also helps it stay extra moist for days! Like I said, magic!
I’ve also given you a gluten free chocolate cake version for this recipe, if you’re more of a chocolate fan (or make a yellow cake with chocolate frosting!). And hey, if it’s your birthday, you get what you want!
And don’t overlook the possibilities when it comes to cake decorating with this delicious gluten free birthday cake recipe! This gluten free caterpillar birthday cake was easier to make than it looks! I just baked this recipe in a bundt pan and cut the baked bundt into 4 sections, then lined them up to make the caterpillar body. A couple cinnamon sticks and some frosting and voila!
A sports ball gluten free birthday cake is easy with the right cake pan … and the right recipe, of course! (hint: this is thee right recipe!)
I can’t wait to see what festive gluten free birthday cakes you bake with this recipe!
And one more thing … if you’re lacking an ingredient in this recipe, or you want to try another of my gluten free cake recipes for your next birthday party, you simply must check out THE. MOST. POPULAR. RECIPE. ON. MY. SITE! It’s my Best Gluten Free Cake Recipe! You won’t be disappointed!
Gluten Free Birthday Cake Recipe
This is the Gluten Free Birthday Cake recipe you've been looking for: white or yellow or chocolate cake that will make your celebration special!
Ingredients
Birthday Cake
- 3 cups (405 grams) gfJules All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
- 1 Tbs. gluten free baking powder
- 1/4 cup powdered pudding mix measure out 1/4 cup of gluten free instant pudding mix
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (like Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks
- 2 cups granulated cane sugar
- 4 large eggs (note: for white cake, use 6 egg whites + 1 egg; yellow cake, use 4 large eggs) *for egg-free option see below
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk or non-dairy alternative (like vanilla coconut, soy, hemp, rice, etc. “milk”)
for chocolate cake add:
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- replace 1 cup of milk listed for white cake with 1 1/4 cup chocolate milk, dairy or non-dairy (I love chocolate almond milk in this recipe!)
- 3 Tbs. chocolate syrup
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 325º F (static) or 300º F (convection).
Spray or oil two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and dust entire surface lightly with gfJules™ All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour (line bottom with parchment paper, if desired). To make cupcakes, oil or line cupcake pans with cupcake papers (Makes approximately 28 cupcakes).
Whisk together the flour, powdered milk/pudding mix, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat well with your mixer’s paddle attachment, until the mixture is very light and fluffy (approximately 3-4 minutes). Add the eggs next, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla with the last egg addition.
Slowly add the milk, alternating with the flour mixture and beating in between the additions. Beat until smooth and pour into the prepared pans.
Allow cakes to sit in the pan for 15 minutes before baking. For cakes, bake for 40 minutes, turning the pans half-way through if using convection setting; for cupcakes, test after 20 minutes for doneness.
To test the cakes for doneness, insert a cake tester or toothpick in the middle of each cake and be sure it comes out clean, with very few crumbs attached. The cakes will also begin to pull away slightly from the sides of the pans. Add time if necessary to fully bake the cakes.
When done, turn off the oven and leave the oven door open to let the cakes cool slowly there for 5 minutes or so, then remove the cakes to a cooling rack. After 15-20 minutes of total cooling time, gently invert the cakes to remove them from the pans, then flip gently back onto the cooling rack until fully cooled.
Frost the cakes only when fully cooled, or in the alternative, you may wrap the cakes with wax paper or plastic wrap and seal inside freezer bags to freeze or refrigerate until ready to use. Lemon Buttercream Frosting or plain white or chocolate frosting are yummy choices for this recipe!
For all kinds of fun decorated cake ideas, hop over to my post on decorating other fun cakes! If you’re looking for something extra fancy, note that fondants are generally gluten-free, as well. Look for Satin Ice or brands like Wilton pre-made.
*This recipe and over 149 more, also available in my newest cookbook, Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy!!
Notes
**For egg-free, use aquafaba OR add 4 tablespoons arrowroot powder to dry ingredients. Add 4 tablespoons applesauce to beaten butter and sugar mixture. Proceed with recipe instructions.
Pin it for later!
Can this be made in to a 9×13 cake pan?
Sarah – Yes! It absolutely can be made in a sheet pan, in fact, this is the recipe we’re using for the 1in133 World’s Tallest GF Cake on May 4 in Washington DC! I would suggest knocking the temperature down by 25 degrees, and testing the center before removing it from the oven to be sure it’s fully cooked. Have fun with the birthday party!
Hi Jules,
First, I just want to say, I LOVE your flour blend! I have even give “small samples” of mine to friends who are gf. Just spreading the joy.
OK, my question about your cake is – is it white? or slightly yellow? I have been CRAVING yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I have tried box mixes for yellow cake and I am always disappointed. So – – onto baking my own and of course with your flour. Thanks!
Hi Wendy, you won’t be disappointed with this cake recipe – I’m sure of it! However, it’s not a really yellow cake; it’s almost an off-white color. To me though, the flavor is more like a yellow cake though.
Does this make a 9×13 pan too? I am in need of ideas for a 2 years old Birthday day party.
I had tried this recipe after getting my new cookbook, and it tasted great. However, it was a little denser than traditional cake. Is there something I need to do differently?
Hi Kathryn, it probably depends on the milk powder you are using, and the milk fat content of the milk you use as well. This is a great recipe because it doesn’t crumble and can support itself if you use cake molds or cut it into other shapes (I just made it into a disco ball cake for my daughter’s birthday!), so it is supposed to be slightly more dense so that it can hold these shapes, but it shouldn’t strike you as super dense or anything. Revisit those milk ingredients and perhaps try different brands or different kinds of milk next time, so you get the recipe to the point where the texture is what you are looking for. Glad you loved the taste though!!!
Thanks, Jules. I am going to try it again for Easter. I will try a higher fat milk this time.
I found your Free for All cookbook at the library and looked you up online! I may have to go out and buy it after I try a few recipes! What is your favorite recipe in the book? I will definitely try this recipe because I have not been able to find a white cake recipe that doesn’t taste either gummmy or gritty! Sounds good! Hoping for the best!!! Thanks!
I was thinking of doing this cake for my co-worker’s birthday – so that I could have some too! He’s diabetic. I was wondering if you thought the substitute of splenda for the sugar would be ok, or a disaster?
Thanks!
This recipe has a lot of sugar in it, but you could try Baking Splenda. I haven’t tried it in this recipe, but it usually works pretty well. If you have time, bake out a sample before-hand just to be sure because you’re subbing out a major ingredient in the recipe. : )
We made this last nite for my gluten-eating boyfriend’s birthday, with a house full of gluten-eaters, and everyone without exception LOVED it!! Thank you for your flour, I can’t wait to try it in all sorts of other recipes
Yay! That’s so great and such a great way to celebrate! Glad everyone loved it!
Since becoming a celiac the food I miss the most is Baking Powder Biscuits. Have you ever made these gluten free. Here is the Receipe:
2 c. flour 4-5 tsp. baking powder
2-3 tbsp shorting 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar about 3/4 c milk
Mix and sift dry ingred – cut in short, add milk gradually to make soft dough. Knead slightly, pat out on board to 1″ thickness. Cut with buscuit cutter. Bake at 475 10-15 min.
This is my mothers recipe that she made often and I miss so much. Any help to do this gluten free would be very much appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Ginger Olson
Hi Ginger, hoping I’ll have time to post my biscuit recipe soon; it’s already in my new cookbook though, Free for All Cooking. I have taught it at a bunch of gluten-free cooking classes and everyone loves it – there really is nothing like a good biscuit to make a person happy! It’s similar to your mom’s baking powder biscuit recipe, but I did make a few changes! Stay tuned or grab my new book if you need it asap!
can you substitute instant pudding (vanilla or chocolate) instead of the powdered milk in the cake recipe? Or is the powdered milk an important ingredient? Thanks
Hi Karen, I love experimenting and if you’re up to it, give the pudding a try. I’ve never done it in this recipe, but you could try it in the same amount and see if it works for you. It will probably make the cake a bit more like a pound cake than it is with the milk powder, but there’s nothing wrong with pound cake! If you try it and it’s too dense, then you’ll know for next time to use the milk powder, and yes, it is an important ingredient, so don’t leave it (or your pudding experimental ingredient) out.
I used pudding mix and the cake turned out beautiful!! Not the whole packet, the same amount called for in the cake.
Jules,
Have you tried this recipe with oil ? What might be the difference if we did ? I know some people think oil makes cakes moister, but I thought you’d eb the go to girl with THE answer.
BTW, made cutout cookies yesterday w/granddaughters using a recipe from another GF baker . Used your flour blend ( of course ) and they were amazing. My daughter’s words were ” there’s a reason her flour is a bit expensive….it’s most wonderful stuff! ”
No one would ever know that they were GF…in fact, I think they’re better than the ones I used to make with wheat.
The dough is a cream cheese one and it made the softest, moistest cookies and they are even better today. That’s saying a lot for a GF goodie, huh ?
The cookies sound great! Would you be able to share that recipe?
Diana – I don’t think this recipe needs the oil for moisture, plus I try to cut the fat wherever I can. I like the results with the Earth Balance Buttery Sticks as the fat here (transfat-free, non-hydrogenated), but if you wanted to use oil in this recipe, you could certainly try it instead of the Buttery Sticks or butter. Let me know if you do – would love to know the results!
I have not used DariFree. Is this something you have to order online or can I find it at Whole Foods? Thanks, Jules! I love your recipes, flour, blog, FB page, etc!
I have found DariFree at all my favorite organic grocers, Whole Foods kind of places, for sure. If your local store doesn’t carry it, they can certainly order it. It seems expensive when you get it, but the cannister lasts awhile and I just love it in recipes like this one!
P.S. Thanks for the chocolate version. Can’t wait to try that.
Just made this recipe in cupcake form. They were delicious. Could not stop eating them. Thanks.
Do you think substituting the caster sugar to agave syrup would work?
I am trying to omit the sugar because it gives me tummy aches.
Unfortunately, this recipe has a lot of granulated sugar to try to sub with a liquid sweetener like agave. I’d recommend just using my flour in another recipe you have where you’ve had success subbing with agave nectar instead. The other option would be to use a substitution of coconut palm sugar (it’s unrefined) and see if that upsets your system – with that substitution, I’d try 1 1/2 cups palm sugar in lieu of the granulated cane in this recipe.
Thank you very much for your reply, very much appreciated!
Kind regards,
Xintia
I am going to use this today to make the cake balls from the cookie exchange. Thank you again for the blogs and the recipes AND the flour!!
Oh my goodness, those cake balls posted on the Gluten Free Cookie Swap look amazing! Totally sinful with this delicious cake! You’ll have to let me know how it turns out and definitely “like” that recipe on the Cookie Swap!
I’d love your recipe for frosting, too! Thanks Jules~you’re a jewel!
Thanks so much!!
Is there any easy way to make this into a chocolate cake? My daughter’s birthday is coming up and she really wants chocolate cake!
I just added the variation for chocolate cakes in the recipe for you! Very easy and very delicious! Happy birthday to your daughter!!!
Can I make this cake without adding the powdered milk??
The powdered milk in this recipe really helps the cake to hold its cell structure and moist crumb. I use DariFree powdered milk so that I can make this cake without any dairy; you could use regular powdered milk or powdered soy milk as other options, but I don’t find as much success with this cake without such a product.
We use Coconut Milk powder (Caribbean Dreams brand) in all of your recipes and it works great. (Tastes great too!)
Thanks for the info, Katie! That’s great to know! Is there a specific brand of coconut powder you like best?
Does this cake do OK with egg substitute? I am allergic to chicken eggs and cannot always get duck or guinea eggs.
My rule of thumb is not to try to substitute for eggs in recipes calling for 3 or more eggs. In my latest book, Free for All Cooking, I offer another cake recipe as an option for folks who can’t do eggs. When you get your hands on duck or guinea eggs though, definitely give this recipe a try!
I just wanted to say I love your blog. You are giving great information, I love when you give specific name brands and of course, your recipes sound wonderful. I can’t wait to try some of them!