Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, anniversary, wedding, or just the fact that it’s another day, this delicious Gluten Free Vanilla Layer Cake is perfect for all occasions. Covering the cake with the beautiful buttercream roses really adds something special, and it’s really easy to do too!
Thank you so much to everyone for the outpouring of birthday wishes yesterday on Facebook. It’s so great to be able to spend my day with so many caring people. Thank You! I promised you that I would share the recipe for this delicious gluten free Vanilla Layer Cake today, so here it is!
I find that creating a gluten free vanilla cake is quite a bit more difficult than a chocolate cake. Getting the crumb just right, plus the flavour, texture, and colour, was a bit of a challenge. After the numerous attempts creating the gluten free Vanilla Bundt Cake, at least I had a starting point.
And the roses? SO EASY to do, you can easily impress your loved ones with a beautiful rose cake that you decorated yourself.
Gluten Free Vanilla Layer Cake {with rose decorating tutorial}
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, anniversary, wedding, or just the fact that it’s another day, this delicious Gluten Free Vanilla Layer Cake is perfect for all occasions.
Ingredients
Vanilla Layer Cake
- 1 cup (160 g) white rice flour
- 1/2 cup (80 g) brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup (85 g) potato starch
- 1/4 cup (17 g) dry milk powder
- 1/4 cup (51 g) sweet rice flour
- 1/4 cup (31 g) tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
- 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) almond extract
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) milk, room temperature
Crusting Buttercream
- 8 cups (1 kg) confectioners’ (icing) sugar, sifted
- 1 cup (250 ml) shortening
- 1 cup (250 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) clear vanilla (regular vanilla can be used, the icing will not be as white though)
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) almond extract
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup (125-175 ml) heavy (whipping) cream
Instructions
Vanilla Layer Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line two 9-inch (22-cm) baking pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together the rice flours, potato starch, milk powder, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light in colour and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, running the mixer in between, allowing the mixture to become smooth before adding the next egg/egg white.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and almond extract.
- With the mixer running on low, add half of the flour mixture to the sugar/butter mixture. Run the mixer until it is combined.
- Add the milk, and continue mixing until combined.
- Add the last of the dry ingredients, and mix until all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans. Bake in preheated oven for 27-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Leave the cakes in the pans for about 5 minutes before turning out on a cooling rack and allowing to cool completely before frosting.
Crusting Buttercream
- Beat together all the ingredients until smooth. Start with 1/2 cup (125 ml) cream, and add more, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, until you get a nice soft, smooth consistency that still holds its shape. If you accidentally add too much cream, add a little more confectioners’ sugar. This is a LOT of frosting, but piping the roses uses a lot of frosting.
- Frost the top of one of the cakes, and stack the second cake on top. Using an offset spatula, coat the cake with a thin layer of frosting. It doesn’t need to be smooth or pretty, just coated. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to let the frosting set before piping the roses.
- Fit a piping bag with a large star tip (I use the Wilton 1M tip). Fill with the buttercream.
- To see how to make the roses, watch my video on YouTube.
Watch how easy it is to decorate a cake with buttercream roses.
Change up the frosting colours for a gorgeous Ombre cake.
Love this Gluten Free Vanilla Layer Cake? Then you’ll love these!
Cindy @ Hun... What's for Dinner? says
Absolutely gorgeous and I am sure, delicious!
Jeanine Friesen says
Thank you, Cindy!
Jill says
The most beautiful cake I’ve ever seen. I’m horrible with icing but I might have to give it a try! Thanks for sharing and happy belated birthday Jeanie.
Jeanine Friesen says
Thanks, Jill! It really is super easy, and if you mess up, just scrape it off and start again. 🙂 Practically fool proof!
Alice says
Looks wonderful!! I made the Rainbow Layer cake with the 4 colors for my daughter in law’s birthday this weekend! It turned out great except that it wasn’t GF!! Would love to try it with this cake! I wonder how it would work?
Jeanine Friesen says
I was thinking about that too, April. Thing is, my daughter wanted to bake my birthday cake, so I was thinking a cake mix was easiest. Then we ended up not baking any cake. lol If you try it, please let me know!
Robyn says
Truly spectacular! I can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks, Jeanine!!
Jeanine Friesen says
Thank you, Robyn! If you try it, please let me know how you liked it!
Penny Calhoun says
Isn’t vanilla gluten. I suppose you could make your own with potato vodka. I’m thinking of trying it myself. I have raging Celiac, I have to be so careful.
Jeanine Friesen says
No, most vanilla is gluten-free. I’ve made my own, but the vanilla I buy at Costco is also labeled as gluten-free. I have celiac as well. 🙂
Erika Buswell says
Quick Q. 1what of Xanthum gum. I’m assuming teaspoon, but just wanted to be safe :).
Jeanine Friesen says
Thanks for pointing that out, Erika – it is 1 teaspoon. Unfortunately, I’m having a website hiccup right now, and can’t edit the recipe. Hopefully tomorrow. 🙂
T says
This looks delicious. I have made different cupcakes you have posted and everyone always loves them. They don’t even think they are gluten free!! You have the best cake/cupcake recipes by far. I was wondering if you would add sprinkles to the cake to make it more of a confetti cake or would you just use your confetti cupcake recipe and make it into a cake? Am looking at making it for Easter in the shape of a bunny and thought sprinkles would be fun and colourful (plus everyone loved the confetti cupcakes). Thanks for all your great posts.
Jeanine Friesen says
Thank T! I think I’d try the confetti cupcakes as a cake. I haven’t, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Then again, I’m sure this cake would take the sprinkles just fine as well. 🙂
Cathy Aikens says
Can this cake be made with extra vanilla instead of almond extract?
Jeanine Friesen says
Absolutely, Cathy! 🙂
Anna says
I have trialed a number of gluten free cakes now, but not one has had the replicated consistency of a flour cake like this one. I mean hands down the best recipe I’ve come across! Thank You!!!! No more scouring recipes. I did make some modifications if others are in the same position as me (diabetic). I halved the sugar and used 30 drops of liquid stevia and increased the (plain greek) yogurt by a couple tablespoons to make up the bulk. Also I used coconut oil (in place of butter) and unsweetened almond milk. I had unflavored pea protein (2 tablespoons) on hand which I used in place of the milk powder. It is divine!
Ana says
Absolutely divine! I wish I had a steady hand like yours to do this. AND the patience!! Wonderful, Jeanine!
Lucy says
This recipe is beyond 5 stars! The best I have made, no one could tell it was GF.
My picky eater asked for seconds… which was amazing!
Thanks again Jeanine… love ya!
Jeanine says
So happy to hear that, Lucy! 🙂
Helen says
Do you think this recipe would work for cupcakes too? I know some recipes work great, but others, less so.
Jeanine says
This recipe does work as cupcakes!
Lynn says
I halved the recipe to make a dozen cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday yesterday. Fabulous cupcakes. They didn’t even need icing, though of course they had it. Soft, fluffy, wonderful flavor. Already planning when will make again.
I’d like to have the calorie content and basic nutrition info if possible.
Jeanine says
Yeah! Glad to hear that, Lynn! I haven’t made these in a while, but should! 🙂 I don’t have access to the nutritional info, but you can enter the ingredients in here to figure it out: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
Jill says
Would it work to use a gluten free flour blend? I use Bob’s Red Mill.
Jeanine says
It could work, but the results would not be the same. Especially since Bob’s is a very beany flour.
Jeanette says
Made this cake and decorated it. Worked great. Love the 1M tip. Great tutorial.
Jeanine says
Awesome! It is so easy to decorate with that 1M tip, both cake and cupcakes. Love it! 🙂
Elle @ Only Taste Matters says
Thank you for the rose tutorial! I’ve been too intimidated to try it before but seeing your video is making me brave enough to go for it!
Jeanine says
Thanks, Elle! It is really easy to do, just looks extra fancy. 😉 Doesn’t take very long to do either, which is a bonus.
brooke jade says
I am really excited to try this out! as a teen with Celiac,it’s tricky to find good GF dessert recipes! I’m loving your site so far! =)
Cour Pam says
Hi. I just wanted to know if there is a substitute for sweet white rice flour. Because its hard to find it in my country. I have the rest of the flours with me. Also what would the consistency of the cake be like.. thick or thin ? Because i baked a different recipe and the flours butter sugar all ended up in a shape of a ball that i couldnt even mix the eggs in. So now i wanna give a go to your recipe. i am still new to baking gluten free recipes. So please do help me out. thank you❤ (sorry i mistakenly sent the msg in the review) my bad🤦♀️
Jeanine Friesen says
Sweet rice flour is also called glutinous rice flour, and can often be found with Chinese foods (shop or aisle). It really is quite a unique flour, because the consistency of it seems to be a blend of starch and flour. If you’re still not able to find it in those areas (or that name), you could do an extra 2 Tablespoons of potato starch, and 2 Tablespoons of tapioca starch. The batter isn’t runny, but it’s definitely not as thick as you described. Hope this one works for you!