Gluten Free Snack Cake

This gluten free snack cake feels indulgent without being over the top! I love nibbling on slices with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea, and am always happy to offer it as a quick after-school treat. Serve the cake plain or dusted with sifted powdered sugar, add a dollop of whipped cream or lemon curd and fresh fruit alongside, or top it with chocolate icing or chocolate buttercream frosting to make it extra special.

Try my gluten free butter cake and gluten free busy day cake recipes for cakes with a similar laid-back vibe!

What You'll Love

I love the words "snack cake" dearly, as they imply something simple and meant to snack upon at every opportunity! My gluten-free banana snack cake and oat flour chocolate chip snack cake recipes are also favorites, but this is the OG. You'll love:

• How easy it is to make. This is a one-bowl cake made just with a whisk, so the batter comes together so fast. Yay!
• The simple ingredients. Easy gluten free flours plus a few other fridge and pantry staples are all that's needed here. Nothing fancy or fussy.
• A gorgeous yet gluten-free crumb. Don't you love a gluten-free crumb that tastes anything but? This one is soft, tender, and lusciously moist - you won't be able to tell it's a gluten-free cake.

Ingredients Needed

Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

• Butter - Unsalted butter is best!
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs - I used large eggs, and medium eggs will also work.
• Milk - I prefer whole milk for richness here, and 2% works, too.
• Sour cream - Substitute plain Greek yogurt if needed.
• Almond flour - Use finely ground almond flour
• Oil - Your choice of oil here - try melted coconut oil, avocado oil, vegetable, or canola oil
• Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Rising agents - Baking powder and baking soda.
• Salt - Use fine sea salt or table salt.
• Oat flour - Learn how to make oat flour at home, or pick up a package at the store. If you can't eat oats, substitute brown rice flour.

Tips & Recipe Notes

• Use a deep pan. There is a lot of batter, so make sure to use a pan with deep sides! If your pan is not as deep, reserve a cup or two of batter and bake it as cupcakes.
• What type of pan? Feel free to bake this cake in a 9-inch greased and lined round cake pan. You could also bake it in a 9x13-inch pan, though it will produce a thinner cake. Adjust baking times as necessary depending on the size of the pan.
• Dairy-free. Swap the melted butter for non-dairy butter or oil, and change out the sour cream for non-dairy sour cream or non-dairy yogurt.
• Use a flour mix. If you prefer, use a gluten free 1:1 flour such as my homemade gluten free flour blend or your preferred gluten-free baking flour for the oat and almond flours. You could also try gluten free cake flour for the oat flour for an even softer cake.
• Spice it up. For extra flavor and warmth, stir in 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ginger, or do a combination of ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg for a gentle spice blend.
• A few add-ins. Throw in some chocolate chips, fresh berries, or nuts to change up the flavor of this snack cake.

Proper Storage

• Counter - Cover the cake or place it in an airtight container and store on the counter for up to 2 days.
• Fridge - Keep the cake, covered or in a container, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Wrap the cake in foil and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost completely in the fridge before eating.