Not all gluten free cake recipes are created equal! Fluffy and moist gluten free white cake is the best, easy, from scratch, vanilla cake recipe perfect birthdays and celebrations!
gluten free vanilla white cake
After many years experimenting with gluten free baking, I’ve had my fair share of successes and failures. Fortunately I now rely on perfected recipes for gluten-free chocolate cake, breads, and muffins.
Until now, though, I’ve continually struggled with the best gluten free white cake recipe. Most gluten free baking recipes can easily be adapted from traditional ones. However, all the versions of vanilla cake I tried were dry, dense, or gritty when swapped out with gluten free flour.
I relied on some tricks learned when developing my gluten free cookbook, such as a quality GF flour and longer mix time. This homemade, moist gluten free vanilla cake was adapted from America’s Test Kitchen lemon layer cake, omitting the lemon flavor to make a vanilla cake.
Also, after a few experiments, I found the original recipe baking time too long. Two layer cakes in a 9 inch round cake pans only required 23-25 minutes for a fully baked, light, spongy cake.
Never again will you have to rely on a gluten-free cake mix for an easy, quick cake! This tried and true white cake recipe mixes together in only five minutes to make that special birthday cake!
How to Make Gluten Free White Cake
Gluten free flours don’t absorb fats as well as regular flour. For this reason, instead of creaming softened butter and sugar, this recipe uses melted butter to blend with the starches.
This way the fat and moisture stays coated on the starches, leaving a moist cake instead of dry and crumbly.
Other than using melted the butter, the cake is similar to any white cake recipe. Egg whites are used for a fluffy, light cake and room temperature milk and eggs helps the liquid ingredients incorporate better with the dry.
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
- To eliminate tough cake edges, line two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom. Spray the top and sides with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Melt the butter first so it has time to cool before blending in. Once it comes to room temperature whisk together egg whites, milk, cooled butter, and vanilla.
- In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Add all but 1/2 cup of the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients. Beat slow at first to moisten ingredients. Increase speed to medium for 2 minutes, until the batter becomes pale and fluffy.
- Pour in the remaining 1/2 cup liquid and beat for 1 minute longer.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting or filling.
Dairy Free Adaptation
To make a dairy-free gluten free cake, substitute Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks and use unsweetened almond milk for the milk. Reduce the amount of salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
gluten free flour recommendations
Gluten free flour blends have come a long way in the last ten years. Gluten free baking used to mean buying, storing, and measuring several different flours to make your own flour mix.
Fortunately there are several commercial brands that perform way better than any homemade mixes I’ve ever experimented with. These are the brands I find work the most consistently and have the best taste.
- Cup4Cup – This is the brand I primarily use because any gluten free taste or difference in texture is undetectable. However, it is also the most expensive and contains milk powder, so it is not dairy free.
- Bob’s Red Mill – This is the other brand I rely on because of the consistency in results and taste. It is widely available at grocery stores and slightly more affordable than Cup 4 Cup. However, I only recommend Bob’s Red Mill for cakes. I don’t find it gives good results with breads, biscuits, or cookies.
- King Arthur Measure-for-Measure – This version in newer on the market and has performed well in my baking tests. It’s more affordable, but I do detect a slightly gritty flavor in baked goods.
Wondering how different gluten free flour brands compare? Four of the most popular gluten free blends were thoroughly tested. See the surprising results for the best gluten free flour!
Do I Need to Add Xanthan Gum?
No, not if the gluten free flour blend contains it. All three flours mentioned above do have xanthan gum in the mix.
Please note King Arthur has two variations of gluten free flour. King Arthur’s all-purpose gluten free flour does not contain xanthan gum, so 3/4 teaspoon will have to added to the dry ingredients.
King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Gluten Free Flour does contain the xanthan gum already, so there’s no need to add extra.
Difference Between Gluten Free White Cake and Yellow
When searching for a gluten free yellow cake mix or recipe, you may be confused between the difference of white and yellow cake recipes.
While they are both vanilla flavored, yellow cakes have a buttery flavor with a moist, slightly denser crumb due to the added egg yolks. White cakes are pure white and use only egg whites for a fluffier, lighter, more delicate texture.
A white or yellow cake, either homemade or with a gluten-free cake mix, may be substituted for each other. It is just a matter of taste and preference.
Of course, if lemon is more your thing, try this deliciously moist gluten-free lemon bundt cake recipe!
Why Did my Gluten Free Cake Sink?
Most likely the cake did not bake long enough. Gluten free flours do not absorb moisture as well as regular flour. Therefore, additional baking time is needed for the moisture to evaporate.
Where traditional cakes need to be pulled immediately, or risk overbaking, gluten-free cake recipes bake a few minutes longer. For best results test with a toothpick inserted in the middle. Testing to see if top “springs back” usually isn’t a reliable method.
Another reason cakes fall is due to inaccurate oven temperatures. If your oven isn’t a true 350ºF, the baking powder could be activated too fast, which causes the cake to rise quickly.
The cake will dome high and possibly crack and fall. I use an inexpensive oven thermometer to verify settings and adjust accordingly.
suggested Fillings and Frostings for vanilla Cake
Whether making this recipe or a gluten-free vanilla cake mix, these are my favorite frostings and fillings that work great for vanilla white cakes.
Cake Fillings:
- Vanilla Custard, used in Blitz Torte
- Banana Curd Filling
- Ice Cream Cake, following directions in Baked Alaska Cake
- Fresh Fruit Filling
- Mousse filling (any flavor!)
Cake Frostings:
- Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
- Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream
- Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting, recipe in Carmelita Cake
- Fluffy Coconut Frosting recipe in Almond Joy Cake
- Chocolate Ganache recipe in Ding Dong Cake
- Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese frosting recipe in Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Light Cream Cheese Frosting in Red Velvet Cake
- Peanut Butter Glaze
Gluten Free white vanilla Cupcakes
To make cupcakes instead of a layer cake, follow this recipe for gluten-free vanilla cupcakes. The batter should be poured in 2/3rds full. Cool completely before spreading or piping on your favorite frosting.
Sheet Cake
Gluten free white cake recipe may also be baked in a 9X13 inch pan to make a sheet cake.
If you plan on removing the cake from the pan to decorate, line the bottom with parchment paper cut to size. Grease the top of the parchment with cooking spray.
Bake at the same temperature as the layer cake directions. The baking time should be about the same as well. It may need a couple minutes longer, but start checking around 24 minutes.
Cool the cake completely before frosting with any sort of buttercream, whipped, or cream cheese frosting. If you are using a glaze, like in Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake recipe, the frosting may be poured on while the cake is still warm.
Storing / Freezing Layer Cakes
Gluten free cakes do not stay fresh as long as regular cakes. Therefore, if you don’t plan on freezing the cake, make it no more than 24 hours ahead of time.
Frequently I bake the cake layers and freeze them until ready to assemble with a filling and frosting. Alternatively, the cake may be baked, frosted, and frozen whole.
Freezing Cake Layers: Wrap each completely cooled layer securely in plastic wrap. Transfer wrapped layer to a gallon freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.
When ready to use, remove from freezer bag and thaw wrapped cake at room temperature for 1 hour.
Freezing Frosted Cake: Assemble the cake with filling and frosting. Transfer whole cake to the freezer so frosting solidifies. After the frosting is frozen, wrap the cake securely with plastic wrap. Cover plastic wrap with foil and freeze up to 3 months.
Thaw cake overnight in refrigerator. Carefully remove plastic wrap and foil. Continue to thaw at room temperature for 5-6 hours.
expert tips and tricks
- For a pure white cake use clear vanilla extract.
- Melt the butter before beginning the cake recipe so it has time to cool.
- Egg whites separate easier when they are cold. After the eggs have been separated, set them out with the measured milk to come to room temperature.
- The recipe calls for whole milk for best results. 2% may be substituted, but skim is not recommended. For the dairy free version, almond milk performed best.
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step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
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Fluffy and Moist Gluten Free White Cake
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 5 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour (see recipe notes for recommendations)
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 TABLESPOON baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and set rack in middle position. Spray two 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and then grease parchment. Set aside.
- Melt the butter first so it has time to cool before blending in. Once it comes to room temperature whisk together cooled butter, milk, egg whites, and vanilla in a bowl.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Add all but 1/2 cup of the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients. Beat slow at first to moisten ingredients. Increase speed to medium for 2 minutes and mix until the batter becomes pale and fluffy. Pour in the remaining 1/2 cup liquid and beat for 1 minute longer.
- Divide the batter between prepared cake pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Cake is done when tops are golden and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Allow the cake layers to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack, remove parchment, and cool completely before frosting with fluffy vanilla or chocolate buttercream.
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Recipe Notes
Expert Tips
- For a pure white cake use clear vanilla extract.
- Melt the butter before beginning the cake recipe so it has time to cool.
- Egg whites separate easier when they are cold. After the eggs have been separated, set them out with the measured milk to come to room temperature.
- The recipe calls for whole milk for best results. 2% may be substituted, but skim is not recommended. For the dairy free version, almond milk performed best.
- Frost with an equally fluffy buttercream frosting, like perfect vanilla buttercream.
Lily says
Hi Melissa! I’m looking to find a white cake recipe that I can add jello mix and raspberries to make a raspberry cake. Do you have any recommendations for what I should substitute, or how it would affect the batter?
Melissa Erdelac says
Hi Lily,
I love this idea, but I would have to experiment with it before telling your for sure. I think adding the raspberry jello mix to the batter wouldn’t affect the recipe as much as adding the raspberries because that would introduce a lot more liquid as the cake baked. You could try adding the jello mix and save the raspberries for filling and garnishing?
Best,
Melissa
Caren says
Hi Melissa, I’ve only baked a handful of GF recipes, only when I’m visiting my mom as that’s what she eats. I had a request for a white birthday cake with chocolate frosting and found your recipe for the fluffy cake and fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting – it was a huge hit! The texture is just like any other cake and you’re right, after 5 minutes of mixing, the frosting really is fluffy (even though I threw everything in at once instead of in stages). I even used a dairy-free heavy whipping cream alternative, which worked perfectly. I’ll definitely share your site with another GF friend who is always looking for good ideas.
Melissa Erdelac says
Hi Caren,
That is so sweet of you to take the time to let me know. And I’m so grateful to know that dairy-free whipping cream works just as well in the recipe! Thank you for sharing the site. That is always appreciated!
Best,
Melissa
Ally says
The batter turned out like soup. Don’t know what I could have done wrong — measured everything correctly and had things room temp as the recipe needed. It kind of “baked” but was still extremely wet and gross.
Melissa Erdelac says
Hi Ally,
I’m so sorry this happened! As you can see the process shots I included in the post, the batter shouldn’t be soupy. It sounds like something was off with the ratio of ingredients added.
Best,
Melissa
Carolynn says
I’d like to try this recipe because of the positive comments. I want to make cake pops (have never made them but look fun) for my daughter and grandkids for Valentines. Do you know if a gluten free cake would work?
Melissa Erdelac says
Hi Carolyn,
I think that is a great idea! Using a gluten free cake wouldn’t affect the cake pop recipe at all and yes it would work fine!
Best,
Melissa
Karen says
I need a 12 x 18 sheet cake. Can I double this recipe for that?
Melissa Erdelac says
Hi Karen,
Yes, to make the math easy you would double the recipe for that. However, the baking time might change. Start checking around 23 minutes.
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
Thank you for your quick response! I’ll be trying this tomorrow 🙂
Megan says
We are new to the gluten free lifestyle and I am not a great baker to start but this cake turned out SO perfect for my son’s birthday 😃 thank you so much for the recipe! We’ll be using so many more recipes in the future!
Melissa Erdelac says
Thank you so much, Megan! I’m so glad it was a success, especially on your son’s birthday!
Best,
Melissa
Ashles says
Hi, I want to try this recipe but I have two 7 inch cake pans. I don’t want to overfill and have them deflate. Any suggestions??
Melissa Erdelac says
Hello,
For cakes fill the pans halfway. With the leftover batter you can make cupcakes (filling 2/3 way up cups). Another option would be to cut the recipe in half. A 6-inch cake pan holds exactly half of what a 9-inch cake pan holds. Therefore you will have two slightly thinner layers and the bake time will reduce probably by about 5 minutes. Your last option would be to use the adjustable serving amount in the recipe card. Instead of 12 servings, move it to 8 servings and all the ingredient amounts will automatically adjust. The only tricky ingredient will be the egg whites. You will need 3 1/3, so I would just use 1 tbsp of a 4th egg white or add an additional 1 tbsp milk.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Melissa
Julie says
I just made this cake for a friend’s wedding in 2 days. The cakes looked beautiful when I took them out of them oven but as they cooled, they deflated and when I cut into them, they were like a mochi cake density. I don’t know what I did wrong. I used an oven thermometer to verify the correct temp and /i baked them for about 27 minutes to be sure they were fully cooked.
Any suggestions???
Melissa Erdelac says
Hi Julie,
It sounds like the liquid ingredients were off. GF flours don’t absorb liquids as well so if they are overly saturated it becomes very dense and gummy. Also, out of curiosity, what brand GF flour did you use?
Best,
Melissa
Tina says
Every recipe I’ve tried from your site has been excellent and this cake is no different! I’m a retired professional (gluten) baker and have struggled to find a gluten free recipe that is passable let alone delicious and as good as a wheat based cake. I’m here to say after trying 15 different recipes, THIS is THE ONE. I used cup4cup and followed the recipe to the T. Fit anyone who had less than great results, your flour will make or break your cake. I beg you, use the flour the recipe calls for. It’s all the difference! Thank you for the recipe!
Melissa Erdelac says
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch, Tina. This really made my day! I feel your pain being a former baker. Although I didn’t do it professionally before becoming gluten-free, I would consider myself a well-versed and confident baker. It was hard to go from that, to starting back at square one, with a lot of dismal results. What most people considered “passable” was truly disheartening for me. I’m excited to be able to share recipes that actually don’t make me miss gluten anymore. 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Arisha Love Smith says
Can sour cream be added to this cake?
Melissa Erdelac says
Hello,
I haven’t tested the recipe with sour cream, but I’d imagine it would throw off the ratio of wet to dry ingredients. Sounds like a great idea of something to test, though!
Best,
Melissa
Teresa says
Excited to try this recipe!! Could I use the whole eggs instead of just the whites? Im not really interested in a purely white cake just a delicious vanilla one.
Melissa Erdelac says
Hi Teresa,
If you want to use whole eggs, I would do 3 whole eggs. It will change the flavor and texture slightly, but will still be delicious!
Best,
Melissa
Joyce says
Made this for Easter. Much better than a boxed cake mix. Moist and flavorful. Very happy with the outcome!!
Melissa says
Thank you for letting me know, Joyce!
Natalie says
Idea..could the egg whites be whipped and folded in after you mix the dry and wet? Hmm next time
Natalie says
It’s in the oven now…is the batter supposed to be runny or a thicker consistency? Anyone else’s look broken? Fingers Crossed
Melissa says
Hi Natalie,
I’m curious how it turned out after baking? My batter isn’t runny, but I use cup4cup flour, which contains cornstarch, so the batter is on the thicker side. I wouldn’t recommend whipping the egg whites for this particular cake because it would have a drier crumb. Let me know if I can help in any way!
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
I just pulled mine out of the oven. It looks good but did not rise at all! Not sure what I did wrong. I followed the recipe exactly. When I filled the 9 inch springform pans they were very thin layers.
Melissa says
Hello,
Hmmm, are you sure you put the baking powder in or perhaps the flour was mis-measured? I’m not sure why it would be so flat. I’m sorry that happened!
Best,
Melissa
Kate says
This recipe is amazing!! My niece asked me to bake her a wedding cake for her 9th birthday. I have not tried cake baking since going GF and DF last year. I found another cake recipe that was TERRIBLE! It was gummy and tasted gross. This was HEAVEN!! I also used Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour. Instead of whole milk I used canned coconut milk thinking it would provide better fat than almond milk would. I did keep the butter in the recipe. I did not notice any coconut flavor although my husband did but thought it was good. This was fantastic, it was light, moist and delicious. Thank you so much!!!! This will be my go to vanilla cake recipe from here on out!
Melissa says
Oh thank you so much, Kate! This makes me immensely happy and I’m so glad you found it. For some reason I had a much easier time with gluten-free chocolate cake versus white. I was so happy when I finally came up with a recipe that didn’t make me feel like I was missing out!
Best,
Melissa
Terri Zgolli says
Great cake! My goodness it turned out superb. Used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour. Batter had me a bit worried -taste and texture, but it turned out lovely. Will bookmark and make again!
Melissa says
Thank you so much, Terri! Yay! I’m so glad you had such great success with this recipe.
Best,
Melissa
AW says
Question: Could I get results as good using a sugar substitute such as an Erythritol, Allulose blend?
Melissa says
Hello,
I have not tried this, but if it works for other cake recipes I don’t see why not. I would only be worried about the structure of the cake. Do other baked goods become flatter with it?
Best,
Melissa
Devon says
This smelled amazing while it was baking and it rose well . . . but it dropped while cooling and is now only about 1 inch thick. Do you have any suggestions for trouble shooting? I used Cup 4 Cup, brand new baking powder, whole milk, and followed the recipe exactly except that I used a hand mixer instead of stand mixer. Thanks for any suggestions you may have!
Melissa says
Hi Devon,
I’m so sorry to hear this! How is the texture inside? Is it really gummy? I’m wondering if it was underbaked. When baking with gluten-free flour I always error on the side of overbaking because a lot of times it looks and feels done and then when you cut into it, the moisture hasn’t been given enough time to evaporate so it sinks and becomes dense and gummy.
Shweta says
I made this for a strawberry shortcake layer cake. And no one could tell it’s Gluten free. Texture was great.
The salt is however more for our taste. I could taste the salt so much when I just ate the cake without frostings and the cream and strawberries. I am surprised no one commented on this. May be we eat way less salt. Haha.
My go to recipe for for gluten free. Thanks bunches.
Melissa says
Hi Shweta,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! Thank you so much for taking the time to write. You know, I never taste the salt, but the last time I made the cake I wondered why I had so much salt in the recipe. I adjusted it in case anyone else has the same issue.
Best,
Melissa
CakesNcakesshop says
thanks for sharing this information with us
Akanksha sobti says
Where have you mentioned xanthum gum in the recipe?
Manisha says
Hi did you use ATK flour blend or
cup4cup because I cannot get those commercial brands here. Thanks
Melissa says
Hello,
I used the Cup 4 Cup, but if you want to use the ATK flour blend, you can do that and add 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum to the dry ingredients.
Best,
Melissa
Mellicia says
Woah! My son and I made the gluten free white cake + the vanilla buttercream frosting for his dad’s birthday. It was exceptional. My husband LOVES birthday cake and the last four years w/out gluten have been a big disappointment. Last year I purchased a small cake for $65 from a gluten free bakery. It was good. This was GREAT. Moist, light, not overly sweet- it was all the things. It was also incredibly easy and we used items we already had in the house. Highly recommend!
Melissa says
Hi Mellicia,
This means so much! I’m so happy you were able to finally find something for your family. I have definitely been there with the overpriced bakery cakes. I’m all about making things easy and affordable!
Best,
Melissa
Derek says
Hello,
Thanks for the recipe. I am beginner wanna-be gluten-free dad bake. The flavors were great. However, when I made it, the cake came out more dense than I would like. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1. The batter was a little runnie when I put in the oven. Any suggestions?
Melissa says
Hi Derek,
Thanks for writing and I’d be happy to help! Unfortunately not all GF flours are created equal. Bob’s red mill is good because it has consistent results, but the combination of starches does make for really dense baked goods. I did a post and tested all the top GF flours, baking cookies, breads, and pies with the top brands. I found Cup 4 Cup brand to perform the best, but you can see all the results and see how they stacked up against each other here.
Best,
Melissa
Patricia Watkinson says
Hello! My gluten free all-purpose flour does not have xanthum gum. How many tsp should I add for this cake?
Melissa says
Hi Patricia,
You would use 1 1/4 teaspoon xanthum. Enjoy!
Allison Ippolito says
Whole family loved this cake! Used Cup for Cup flour and couldn’t even tell cake was gluten free. Used a different frosting recipe just because I found one I liked. Will def use this again! Thank you for sharing!
Melissa says
Hi Allison,
Thank you so much for writing! I’m so happy it was a success with your family. The best compliment ever is – you couldn’t tell it was gluten free #1 goal always, right?!
Best,
Melissa
Erin says
The flavor and texture on this are much better than most vanilla gf recipes! I made cupcakes and the one edit I have is that I would not fill them more than 2/3 full. I filled my liners about 3/4 (I know the recipe said almost to the top; I was worried based on my extensive experience with overflowing batter :)) and I still had overflow. I will absolutely make this recipe again, and give a layer cake a try some time. Thanks for the recipe!
Melissa says
Hi Erin,
I’m so glad to hear this recipe worked out well for you! For some reason, vanilla cake has always been harder than chocolate to get a recipe to work in a gluten free version. I’m so relieved to finally settle on a recipe that works! I will make a note in the recipe about filling the cupcakes, thanks for tip!
Best,
Melissa
Annie says
Can I substitute the whole milk with a dairy free milk?
Melissa says
Hi Annie,
Yes that would be fine! Enjoy 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Akanksha sobti says
if my all purpose flour has xanthum gum mentioned! Do i need to put more?
Melissa says
Hello!
No, no need for more! Enjoy!
Melissa
Kathy McClarsen says
This recipe looks great! I was just wondering, can I halve the recipe to only make 12 cupcakes or will it be screwed up?
Thank you!
Melissa says
Hi Kathy, No that would work perfectly fine. Enjoy!
Kelsey says
Do you know if anyone has tried coconut sugar as a substitute to the sugar?
I can’t wait to try this for my kids birthday! ☺️
Melissa says
Hi Kelsey,
I personally have not tried it with coconut sugar. Have you tried substituting it in other cake recipes? I think it should be fine, but the cake wouldn’t be white and more brown, if that isn’t an issue.
Best,
Melissa