Name: Easy, Moist, Fluffy Gluten Free Vanilla Snack Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 ¾ gluten-free flour blend; 1 ¼ sugar; 2 tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; ¾ c milk or dairy-free milk substitute (room temp-heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds if cold); ¾ c oil (avocado, sunflower, canola, vegetable); 2 tsp vanilla extract, powder or bean paste; 3 large eggs room temp (place in a bowl of warm water for 10 mins if cold)

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Store-Bought Gluten-Free Flour Blends

If you prefer a store bought blend, I like King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Flour. It works well in many of my recipes and is widely available in grocery stores. Gluten-free flours for baking are quite expensive compared to wheat flour. But King Arthur is the most affordable of the of all the ones I’ve tested. Be sure to check out more of my recipes with King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour.

Pamela’s All Purpose Artisan blend is similar and works well in this recipe too. Cup4Cup is a another option but contains milk powder so I have not tested with it. All three of these flours are certified gluten-free and contain binders like xanthan gum, guar gum and inulin. So no need to add extra if your flour blend contains it.

2 white plates with gluten-free vanilla snack cake. Fork on left and pan with cake in background.

DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blends

My custom blend of sorghum, millet and brown rice flours is my favorite gluten-free flour for baking. I prefer it for the taste and texture it creates in cakes and muffins. The full recipe and more about DIY flours is in my post on gluten-free flours and flour blends.

close up of square piece of vanilla snack cake on white plate with fork.

Ingredients

The ingredients in this cake are pretty simple. You should have most of them on hand.

Vanilla – Vanilla extract is 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.

Vanilla bean paste is another alcohol-free vanilla option. But, vanilla is so expensive these days. So if real vanilla is not in your budget use imitation vanilla extract. The cake will still be yummy.

Dairy-Free-Any unsweetened non-dairy milk substitute will work in this recipe. I have used hemp, coconut (beverage, not canned coconut milk), almond, macadamia, rice and soy “milks” all with great results.

Oil is my preferred way to make a cake moist. It does a much better job than butter. Use avocado, sunflower, canola or any neutral tasting vegetable oil.

The remaining ingredients are just the basics – eggs, baking powder and salt.

Why Snack Cake?

When you want a cake without all the fuss of layering and stacking a layer cake, a snack cake is perfect. It’s one layer and bakes in a square cake pan. Cool it, frost it and you have an easy cake that makes for a yummy snack, delicious dessert or if you’re like me, even an indulgent breakfast. Yes, I shamelessly eat cake for breakfast on occasion!

overhead view of gluten-free vanilla snack cake in square pan with vanilla buttercream frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Corner piece cut out. Partial view of plate with cake and fork in lower left.

Cake Frosting

This vanilla cake is a wonderful base for just about any frosting you like. Vanilla buttercream, chocolate, strawberry, cream cheese or even my no-sugar sweet potato frosting. Here is my full list of frosting recipes which includes 2 vegan options.