This light and fluffy oat flour vanilla cake will become your go-to recipe for a beautifully simple single-layer cake that can be dressed up in all sorts of ways. Naturally gluten free, this cake is almost endlessly versatile and will become a go-to dessert recipe.
A beautiful vanilla-scented oat flour vanilla cake is perfect for so many occasions - you can top it with a simple chocolate icing, add whipped cream, caramel sauce, and fruit, or split it in half and make it into the perfect birthday cake. Simple ingredients include whole grain oat flour and, of course, enough vanilla to actually taste it! The resulting fluffy, naturally gluten free cake is the ultimate keeper. Similar to my oat flour cake and oat flour sugar cookies, you need just one simple flour to make it!
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A Simple & Delicious Vanilla Cake
This easy and versatile vanilla cake disappears fast when I set it out on the counter. It's a lovely tea-time nibble and is worthy enough to serve as a special dessert. I love its basic ingredients that come together to make a reliable cake recipe that suits so many occasions.
- Versatile - Serve it at brunch, serve it for dessert, enjoy it as a snack, a layer cake, and more. You'll find lots of great ways to use this cake!
- Simple ingredients - You'll find all the basics here, with nothing convoluted or confusing.
- Gluten free! This oat flour vanilla cake is another one for the gluten free cake archives, and you'll want to make it again and again.
What You'll Need
See what you'll need to make this easy oat flour vanilla cake below. The full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the end of this post - this is just an overview.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best so that the salt doesn’t compete with the sweetness of the cake.
- Granulated sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar if you want a little different flavor, and you can reduce the amount of sugar by ⅓ cup if you wish to make this cake slightly less sweet.
- Eggs – Most baking recipes are developed using large eggs, and this recipe is no exception. Large eggs are best.
- Vanilla - There's a lot of vanilla called for in this recipe, but I think it makes a difference! You want to be able to taste it, so use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Oat flour - Learn how to make oat flour, or swap another flour like sorghum or brown rice flour by weight if you don't eat oats.
- Baking powder
- Salt – I always use fine sea salt in my baking recipes.
- Milk – Use whole milk for richness.
How to Make Oat Flour Vanilla Cake
Here's a look at how to make this cake - check the recipe card for detailed instructions.
- Prep: Butter and line a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Cream: Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
- Make dry mix: Whisk the flour with the baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Combine: Add the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture in three additions.
- Stir: Starting with ½ cup of flour and ⅓ of the milk, and end with the remaining flour.
- Mix: Stir well after each addition.
- Add batter to pan: Spoon the batter into the cake pan, and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake: Heat the oven, and rest the batter while it heats. Bake for about 30 minutes, then cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before turning it out to cool completely.
A Few Tips
- Rest the batter: Make sure to let the batter rest in the pan before baking it to allow the oat flour to hydrate. This will result in a moister, more tender crumb. The time the oven needs to preheat is perfect for resting the batter, and I’ve noted this in the instructions.
- Flour substitute: You can swap a gluten free flour blend in a 1:1 substitute by weight or cups for the oat flour.
- Make dairy-free: Substitute your favorite non-dairy butter and non-dairy milk for the butter and milk.
- Go refined sugar-free: Substitute maple syrup or coconut sugar for the granulated sugar.
Serving Ideas
I love making this cake into a special birthday cake with chocolate frosting or homemade sweetened whipped cream. A lemon frosting would also be lovely, or try:
- Lemon curd. I love to drape a spoonful of homemade lemon curd over each slice of cake.
- Caramel sauce. Sweet-salty salted caramel sauce in the perfect finishing touch drizzled over slices of this cake!
- Whipped cream and fruit. You have several options for this suggestion - keep it easy and serve a slice of cake topped with whipped cream and sliced fruit or berries. Or, split the layer in half and fill it with whipped cream and fruit or jam, then finish the cake with more whipped cream on the top and sides.
- Frost it. Top the cake with chocolate buttercream frosting or any frosting of your choice.
- Make it a layer cake. This recipe bakes up into a pretty thick cake, which you can cut in half lengthwise and fill and frost. Or, double the recipe and bake into two layers which can be split and frosted to make a stunning presentation of a four-layer cake.
Storage Options
Here are the different ways you can store your oat flour vanilla cake:
- Counter – Cover the cake with foil and keep it on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge – Refrigerating busy day cake will help it keep longer. Cover the cake tightly with foil, or place it in an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer – Freeze the whole cake or slices of cake by wrapping them in a layer of plastic wrap then foil, and storing them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the cake thaw in the fridge before serving.
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes
- Oat Flour Chocolate Cake
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
- Gluten Free Earl Grey Cake
- Gluten Free Lemon and Poppyseed Cake
If you tried this recipe please let me know! Or if you have any recipe questions, always feel free to reach out in comments or email. I hope you love it! ❤️
Oat Flour Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups oat flour (280 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup whole milk at room temperature
Instructions
- Grease a 9-inch springform or deep cake pan with butter and line it with a circle of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat in about a quarter of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add a third of the milk and mix just until combined. Continue adding flour and milk, finishing with flour and stirring each time just until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Preheat the oven to 375°F and let the cake rest while the oven heats. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden and a tester comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Rest the batter: Make sure to let the batter rest in the pan before baking it to allow the oat flour to hydrate. This will result in a moister, more tender crumb. The time the oven needs to preheat is perfect for resting the batter, and I’ve noted this in the instructions.
- Flour substitute: You can swap a gluten free flour blend in a 1:1 substitute by weight or cups for the oat flour.
- Make dairy-free: Substitute your favorite non-dairy butter and non-dairy milk for the butter and milk.
- Go refined sugar-free: Substitute maple syrup or coconut sugar for the granulated sugar.
Emma says
I was looking for a gluten free but not vegan vanilla cake and I was a little sceptical because this only had 4 reviews but I tried it because it was the only one that fit my criteria and I'm so glad! It came out perfectly soft and fluffy and not dense at all! Bookmarked the recipe for the future!
Anonymous says
How does this recipe not have more positive reviews? I was searching all morning for a simple, oat flour cake recipe and I'm so glad I decided to make this one! I am a bit sensitive to sugar so I might put less sugar in it next time as it was a bit too sweet for me. And I might experiment with a lower temperature next time because it was a bit browned on the top and edges. But the consistency was light, buttery, soft and wonderful. If you're looking for a gluten free oat flour cake recipe, then look no further than this!
Elizabeth says
So soft and sweet.