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.
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I have tried this recipe twice. It ends up tasting soooo good. BUT, it falls really bad during the last 10 minutes of baking. I really need to make it in a rectangle pan for my son’s graduation party. Any Suggestions?
Emily, are you using the ingredients exactly as specified? It shouldn’t fall at all – the powdered milk helps with that.
Thank you for this recipe! I am making my own wedding cake as we don’t have gluten free bakeries in my area. I can’t wait to try this and play with some fillings. Jut as a side note, for sensitive Celia’s, Wilton makes it clear thy although they don’t add gluten in their products thy their products can’t be considered 100% gluten free due to cross contamination in the factory. I don’t recommend Wilton to anybody unless they are only using a gluten free diet for health or weight loss, not for Celiacs.
I want to make this cake with strawberries mixed in. Can I just add them or do I need to substitute the strawberries for something else in the recipe? I used to buy a strawberry cake mix but can’t anymore and my family loves the strawberry cake with cool whip and sliced strawberries on top.
Rhonda, the trick here is the moisture. Adding strawberries adds alot of extra liquid (the boxed cake mixes have dehydrated strawberry-type ingredients). Cut your strawberries and pat them dry. Add to the cake but cut back on the milk somewhat. If you bake the recipe the first time as muffins, they should be ok because you can control the bake time better and then next time you’ll have a better idea of how many strawberries and how much milk to add. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you for the info, we actually have a dehydrater so I may just dehydrate the strawberries. BTW I love your flour for baking. My daughter can now enjoy the same things as the rest of the family. So glad I found you website and ALL your products so she doesn’t feel left out of anything!
I made this today- can’t wait to try it but the batter was devine. I use powdered buttermilk and baked it at 325 in a standard oven for 30 minutes exactly. Looks perfect!
Fantastic, Jill!!!
We made the chocolate version a while back and were impressed with the consistency and moistness. One question, though, what could we do to make the chocolate taste more pronounced?
Thanks! I’m planning on making it for my son’s 4th birthday in just a couple of weeks!
So glad you loved the cake! To make it more chocolatey, try adding 1/4 cup chocolate syrup and maybe some chocolate chips! Yummy! Happy early Bday to your son!!!
thanks! We love your flour! We’ve used it in many of our family recipes and it works every time! So thankful that our son can eat the same cakes that his great-grandmothers used to make, just gluten-free!
Jenny, that’s wonderful! That makes me so happy too!!!!
To make the flavor of chocolate really stand out in your baked goods, add about a tablespoon of instant coffee granules. Make sure the brand and variety you use is gluten free!
Love that tip, Carol! I use coffee in my favorite brownie recipe, too – really enhances the chocolate flavor!
Thank you for your blog! I need to make a GF cake for the first time, and quickly grabbed Bob’s Red Mill General purpose GF flour. I want to make a birthday cake with it, but the bean flour has me nervous. Do you think I could substitute it (just this one time) in your recipe with decent results? TIA.
Hi Cat- unfortunately, I think you’ll be unhappy with the results. First of all, you’ll also have to go out any buy some xanthan gum to add to that mixture since it doesn’t contain any binders. Secondly, it contains lots of bean flours which, in a cake especially, will leave a funny aftertaste. If it was a chocolate cake, the chocolate could largely mask that funky taste, but not in a white cake. Sorry to not have a good answer for you, but all flours perform differently, and this recipe is not written for a bean flour base. Hope you can make this recipe soon, though! It’s so yummy!!!!!
Hi Jules
I am located in Australia, and have come across your blog, its fantastic thankyou. We have discovered that my 4 year old cannot eat wheat, gluten or dairy, her birthday is next week and I am going to make her your chocolate cake, however as i am in australia i am unable to get your all purpose flour, would it be rude of me to ask what i would need instead as well as how much xanthan gum to make the recipe thanks so much tanya
Tanya – not rude at all! I wish I could send some of my pre-mixed blend to you for your special cake! The next best thing is to take a simple homemade version and mix it yourself. I have a few blends in my cookbooks, but you can find some pirated on the internet as well
I found this older version for you: http://www.food.com/recipe/nearly-normal-gluten-free-flour-mix-267924 Happy birthday to your daughter!!!
Hello Jules, thank you so much for helping out, Just wondering will your cook books be helpful for me knowing that I cannot purchase your pre mixed blends? Also sorry for my ill knowledge of products what is the difference between cornstarch and cornflour, I always thought they were the same .. and thanks for the birthday wishes. PS i tried to make a banana cake today, but the taste was awful lol
Hi Tanya,
I’m so sorry I missed this question when it was posted! Corn flour is the whole grain of corn ground into a flour that is yellowish in color. Corn starch is just the starch portion of the corn flour and it is white and very fine. My cookbooks, particularly Free for All Cooking, give lots of options for ingredients to make your own blend, depending on your dietary restrictions and the ingredients you can find, so I would think they would be helpful to you. All the best!
I have two questions about this recipe. Could I use sour cream instead of milk and is there enough batter to divide into 3 8″ pans? Thank you…
Cheryl, I don’t think the sour cream will have enough moisture in it to use as a straight sub in this recipe for milk. There is not enough batter to divide into 3 8″pans, unless you don’t mind that the layers will be thin. Be sure to adjust the bake time down if you do divide into 3 pans!
Not sure what I did wrong, it turned out VERY dense, can’t even but into it. The top of the cake is better, but the bottom area looks like solid chocolate. The batter was VERY thick when I poured it into pan.
Joyce – that is definitely not the right outcome! Why don’t you send an email to [email protected] and we’ll work with you via email to see where you might have gone wrong. It’s a light and moist recipe, certainly not dense or solid, so something went wrong somewhere! We’ll try to help you get to the bottom of it!
Hi Jules!
I have a lemon cake recipe from my mom that is a “doctored” box cake recipe but I would so much rather make your delicious cake. The recipe calls for lemon jello and lemon juice to be added to yellow cake mix. Do you think I can add this to the white cake mix without changing the properties too much and still have a delish lemon cake? If not, do you have a lemon cake recipe? I’ve looked but can only find lemon bars.
Thanks!
Michelle
I am planning on using this recipe for pistachio cupcakes and am wondering if milk powder is considered gluten-free or do I have to watch which brand I use?. Also can I use Earth Balance buttery spread instead of Butter Sticks. Thanks, Michelle
Hi Michelle – pistachio cupcakes sound amazing! Have you seen my Rum Cake Recipe? I often use pistachios for that recipe as well – beautiful cake! Always check the milk powders to be sure they are GF, but you should be able to tell from the ingredients. I use Vance’s Dari-Free because I want to use non-dairy, and it is GF and works great! I have not tried this recipe with the Buttery Spread, which is a very different product. I would guess that it would work out ok though, as long as you use the milk powder to help hold it all together!
Just made your birthday cake with soy milk and it came out slightly ‘spongey’. Do you know if the other milks (coconut, etc) do any better? How can I make it drier, more cake like? Thanks!
Jen – what milk powder did you use???
Vance’s
I’m also looking to make a chocolate train cake for my son’s birthday, but I was thinking of using the mini loaf pans. Do you have a guess for how long they would need to cook? or do you think it would be better to make them in regular loaf pans? and if so, wouldn’t it need to cook longer because the pan is deeper? guess for how long?
Thanks!
Tolly – total guess here about bake times, but with the mini-loaf pans, I’d start checking them at 20 minutes; the regular loaves, at 30 minutes. Just keep a wooden skewer or cake tester on hand and keep checking them at 5 minute intervals thereafter if there are still a lot of wet crumbs sticking to the tester. It should work great though, and be super cute!!!
Thanks for the reply! Just in time, I’m baking tomorrow! I’ll let you know how it works.
I don’t know how to send a picture to you, but the train cake turned out wonderful. The kids and parents all loved it, but most importantly, the birthday boy loved it!
Thanks again!
Tolly
I’m making a train cake for my son’s first birthday and i need to make the engine in a loaf pan in order to get the right shape. Would this recipe work in a loaf pan? Thanks!
Oh Anne – what a cute idea! I’ve used this recipe for many shaped cakes – treasure chests, spider man cities, disco balls … it will definitely hold its shape for you, but you may have too much batter so have another pan prepared, just in case!
I like this recipe and kind of birthday cake..
Hey! Ok, so I have my very first gluten-free, dairy-free cake order at the end of the month, which means I probably don’t have time to order your flour. Shipping to Hawaii just always takes too long! Is there a different brand of flour I can use in it’s place?
Congratulations Kiriel! I don’t know of another brand that would be similar to mine, but do you have any of my cookbooks with recipes for homemade all purpose gluten-free flours? If you can find the individual ingredients (be sure they’re all certified GF), you could put together a lovely blend to use.
I am so relieved to find this recipe (and so many other great recipes) as I am hosting a baby shower and the mother-to-be is strictly gluten-free.
Do you have a recipe for fondant icing that would pair with this cake recipe for an extra-special cake?
Thanks so much!
Hi Victoria – so sweet of you to be working on yummy treats for that GF mother-to-be! Most fondant recipes are GF if the ingredients used are GF as well. For pre-made fondants, I made an inquiry for you to Wilton Industries, since they are the easiest for consumers to access. This was their response:
I hope this helps you, Victoria!
Would this turn out if I used egg replacement instead?? Thanks!
Hi Stephanie – in recipes calling for 3 eggs or more, I generally don’t recommend making an egg substitution. In my book, Free for All Cooking, I offer another cake recipe where the egg subs work nicely!
Thanks! I just ordered one. This will help out with all the unpredictable weather we get these
Days.
I will be making my first wedding cake using your cake recipe. I need to test it out first, with freezing the cakes and see how they hold up. I am sure all will be tasty as is everything else I bake with your flour.
Thanks!
Ami – best of luck with the wedding cake! I bake this recipe and freeze it often for traveling to shows and classes, and we actually baked off and froze all 180 cakes made by Whole Foods GF Bakehouse (this recipe!) for the 1in133 World’s Tallest GF Cake event in DC last month! They worked beautifully, so I’m sure yours will be a success too!
Thanks for the encouragement Jules. I will surely take pics of the wedding cake when it is done! i was wondering… do you ever “seal” the cake with simple syrup before you freeze them for extra moistness and protection from the freezer?
Ami – I haven’t needed to do that, but if it’s a technique you like, it certainly wouldn’t hurt the cake (how could simple syrup make anything taste bad?!!). We froze all 180 of the sheet cakes we used for our 1in133 World’s Tallest Gluten-Free Cake Event in DC, and they worked out just fine. : )
Jules I love you! This cake was wonderful for my son’s birthday. My family had their mouths hanging open when they saw me eat cake. They never guessed they were eating gluten-free. I couldn’t find the milk powder, but I make almond milk, so I tried almond meal and it worked great. It was moist and delicious without a crumb in sight down to the last slice my husband ate days later. Thanks for making the day. (Not just that one, but many wonderful days and meals thanks to you).
Pamela, so glad your family loved the cake! And what a wonderful idea to try almond meal in place of the milk powder! I’ll have to tell folks about that option in this recipe! Thanks so much for writing – your story certainly made my day! (& a big happy birthday to your son from me!)
Pamela – did you use the same proportion of almond meal? I am making this cake this week and don’t have any milk powder, but I do have almond meal.
Thanks!