I think that the word vanilla has gotten an unfair reputation. It has come to mean plain, common, boring. But this gluten-free vanilla cake is anything but boring. In fact it is one of my favorite cakes of ALL TIME and I think you might agree. I love a good chocolate cake, lemon cake or spice cake but this vanilla cake is sublime.
Gluten-Free Flour
I have used several different gluten-free flour blends for this gluten-free vanilla cake and they all worked well. My custom blend of sorghum, millet and brown rice flours with potato and tapioca starches is my favorite. See the notes in the recipe for a super simple DIY gluten-free flour blend or my blog post on gluten-free flours and flour blends.
Here is my special flour blend that I love for this cake recipe and many more of my gluten-free recipes:
- 1 c sweet white sorghum flour
- 3/4 c millet flour
- 1/4 c brown rice flour
- 2/3 c potato starch
- 1/3 c tapioca starch
If you prefer a store bought blend, I like King Arthur Flour All Purpose Gluten-Free flour the best. Omit the xanthan gum in the recipe if you use a flour blend that already contains it.
Ingredients
The ingredients in this cake are pretty simple. You should have most of them on hand.
Vanilla-Vanilla extract is pretty much the standard for getting vanilla flavor into baked goods. When I was looking for a way to get vanilla into frosting without tinting it a pale shade of beige, I discovered vanilla powder. It’s pale, it’s sweet and it has no alcohol. I highly recommend Cooks Vanilla Powder for this cake too.
Dairy-Free-Any unsweetened non-dairy milk substitute will work in this recipe. I have used coconut (beverage, not canned coconut milk), almond, macadamia, rice and soy “milks” all with great results.
Cake Variations
This gluten-free vanilla cake recipe is so versatile. With some simple additions, it can be turned into a different cake flavor. Vanilla is a great flavor enhancer so it stays in the recipe regardless of the cake.
- Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
- Gluten-Free Coconut Cake
- For a Gluten-Free Spice Cake, add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 pinches each of nutmeg, ginger and ground clove.
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
This gluten-free vanilla cake is sublime. My FAVORITE cake gluten-free or not.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 c gluten-free flour blend*
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 c sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 c oil (neutral oil like sunflower or canola)
- 1 c milk or non-dairy substitute
- 2 tsps vanilla powder or extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cake pans with parchment and spray with oil.
- Place the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and vanilla, if in powder form, into a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Beat the sugar with the eggs, milk, oil and (liquid) vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and foamy.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix until the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the layers or cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*Use a flour blend without xanthan gum or baking powder. King Arthur Flour has a good all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
This is the gluten-free flour blend I prefer for this cake:
These flours can all be found (certified gluten-free) at Vitacost.com
- 1 c sweet white sorghum flour
- 3/4 c millet flour
- 1/4 c brown rice flour
- 2/3 c potato starch
- 1/3 c tapioca starch
This is an easy DIY gluten-free flour blend:
- 2 c brown rice flour
- 2/3 c potato starch
- 1/3 cup tapioca starch
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Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 500Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 78mgSodium 387mgCarbohydrates 61gFiber 1gSugar 34gProtein 10g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated using information from the Nutritionix database. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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