You won't be able to tell that this gluten free birthday cake is, well, gluten free! Velvety vanilla cake layers are filled and frosted with rich, smooth chocolate buttercream that makes every bite worthy of a celebration.
Delicious Gluten Free Birthday Cake Recipe
This fork-tender gluten free birthday cake recipe is one of my favorite cakes to bake. And when it's finished with an amazing, fluffy chocolate buttercream it approaches the pinnacle of celebration cakes! Chocolate cake is typically my preferred flavor of cake to eat and to serve but there is a special place in my heart for the combination of sweet vanilla cake and chocolate buttercream, particularly when they're paired in a birthday cake. This recipe is one of the very best.
I recommend bringing this cake to room temperature before serving and if you have leftovers, it's best to treat them the same way. Gluten-free cakes can tend to dry out a bit more quickly than their all-purpose flour counterparts, but if you are diligent about keeping them well covered/wrapped in the fridge this will go a long way to extending their lifespan. Accordingly, letting the cake warm up a bit will soften the crumb and let you really taste how tender it is.
For layer cakes I bake the cake the day before and let rest overnight in the fridge so it's very easy to frost and/or split the layers. The morning of the day I plan to serve it, I'll fill and frost the cake and let it rest again in the fridge until about an hour before serving to let the flavors fully develop and the frosting set. You can use the base cake recipe for any iteration of a layer cake along with your favorite fillings and frostings. Each layer also slices in half beautifully so you can do a four-layer cake if you wish. I hope you enjoy this one!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- The gluten-free flour base. For this recipe, I used a combination of five naturally gluten-free flours -- admittedly a few more than I usually do, but it's so worth it. The crumb is velvety and rich. I've made this cake countless times for birthday parties and it always receives rave reviews (and no one guessed it was gluten-free). You can also use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend if you wish.
- Chocolate buttercream frosting. I love buttercream and this chocolate buttercream frosting is so rich, smooth, and satisfying.
- Versatile. You can make this as a layer cake, filled and frosted, or you can freeze a half and keep things simple with a one-layer cake. And, you can try any combination of fillings and frosting you like.
What You'll Need for Gluten Free Birthday Cake
I've outlined what you need for this cake below (note that you can easily swap a gluten free all purpose flour for the five - gulp, yes - gluten free flours called for). The full ingredient amounts and and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Cake
- Butter - Use unsalted butter, good quality if you can get it, so that it does not make the cake too salty.
- Granulated sugar - There's plenty of sugar in this cake for sweetness, but it also helps the cake to stay tender and moist.
- Eggs - Most baking recipes are developed using large eggs, and this cake is no exception! For the best results use large eggs.
- Sweet white flour - A starchy gluten free flour that helps bind the cake together with no need for any gums.
- Oat flour - This whole grain gluten free flour adds structure and softness to the cake.
- Sorghum flour - Another whole grain gluten free flour, sorghum flour works with the other flours to make the batter.
- Starchy flours - Tapioca starch and potato starch add lightness to the cake.
- Baking powder - Check the expiration date on your carton of baking powder to make sure that it is fresh.
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt in my recipes!
- Vanilla extract - It wouldn't be a vanilla cake without vanilla. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Milk - I prefer whole milk for richness, but 2% milk also works.
Frosting
- Butter - Again, use unsalted butter for the frosting. Make sure to bring it to room temperature before you begin so that it blends up smoothly.
- Semisweet chocolate - You can use any chocolate you prefer, although I like semisweet chocolate here. Use a bar or chips.
- Powdered sugar - It's essential to sift the powdered sugar before incorporating it into the frosting to eliminate any lumps, so please don't skip this step!
- Milk - A little milk (whole or 2%) is used to thin the frosting. But, add it in slowly so that you don't end up making the buttercream too thin.
Tips & Substitutions
First off, I recognize that there are a lot of gluten free flours called for in this recipe! Because it's a special-occasion cake, I don't mind digging into the pantry for the different components. However, I know that it's a bit fussy and most of us don't have a ton of time to weigh and sift. In that case, you can simply substitute gluten free flour for the combination of flours. This plus more tips below.
- Substitute for the gluten free flours - All you need to do is to use 3 cups (360 grams) of your preferred 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour for the total flours called for in the ingredients list. If you wish to use my homemade gluten free flour blend, which works perfectly in this cake, use 3 cups of flour for the total of the gluten free flours.
- Individual flour substitutes: For the oat flour, use sorghum flour. For the sweet white rice flour, try almond flour or tapioca flour. For the sorghum flour, swap millet flour.
- To make dairy-free - Use your favorite non-dairy butter and milk for the butter and whole milk.
- Try other frostings - Look at this recipe as your base for all sorts of cake combinations, using the reliably good cake recipe and method as your jumping-off point. You can make chocolate ganache, lemon buttercream, cream cheese buttercream, strawberry or raspberry buttercream, and more.
- Bring the cake to room temperature - For the best texture for both the cake and the frosting, bring the cake to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving it to relax the crumb.
- Rest the batter - All gluten free bakes benefit from resting the batter for at least 20 minutes before baking. Place the cake batter in the pans, cover them loosely with plastic or a clean cloth, and rest for up to 30 minutes to hydrate the flour.
Storage Suggestions
You have several options for storing this cake, including freezing it. To store the cake in the fridge, cover it tightly and place it in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, take te chilled cake and wrap it in a layer of plastic, then foil, and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake in the fridge before serving it.
To freeze an unfrosted cake, wrap the unfrosted layer tightly in plastic, and then in foil. Freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake completely in the fridge before frosting it.
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes
Gluten Free Birthday Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup/150 grams sweet white flour
- 1 cup/120 grams gluten-free oat flour
- ½ cup/80 grams sorghum flour
- ¼ cup/50 grams tapioca starch
- ¼ cup/50 grams potato starch
- 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoo fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Make Cake
- Heat oven to 350° F. Butter 2 8 or 9-inch round cake pans and line them with a circle of parchment.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the butter is lighter in color, about 45 seconds. Then add the sugar in a steady stream and scrape down the bowl again. Continue to mix on medium speed until the mixture is very light in color and texture, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk the eggs. Slowly pour in the eggs a little at a time, and beat very well for about 2 minutes.
- Combine the vanilla and milk in a small bowl or measuring cup.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in two doses, alternating with the milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions.
- Pour the batter into prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Place cake in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check after 35 minutes; you want the cake to lightly spring back in the center when pressed.
- Remove cake from the oven and set on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the side of the pan to loosen the cake, then turn out onto the rack to finish cooling completely.
Make Frosting and Assemble
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the butter. Add the slightly cooled chocolate and mix to combine. Add 1 tablespoon milk. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and mix. Add more milk or sugar as desired for consistency.
- To assemble cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate. I like to chill my layers in the fridge, well wrapped for a few hours or up to overnight, Spread one layer with about one third of the frosting, then top with the other cake layer. Use the remaining frosting to cover the cake.
- Cake should be served at room temperature-cool room temperature. It will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
Helen says
Always delicious…. Nice combo of flours. Comes together perfectly & gluten free as well!