Friends, meet the vanilla cake of your DREAMS! It’s super fluffy, perfectly moist, gluten-free (& dairy-free), and seriously…the BEST. It’s impressive enough for a birthday or perhaps a wedding!
Bonus? It’s also SO easy to make, with easy methods, 1 bowland 9 ingredients. Preheat your oven. Let them eat cake!
This cake couldn’t be easier to make! Simply whisk, pour, bake, and revel in your cake, for goodness sake! 😉 Okay, that’s all of the Dr. Seuss we’ve got in us, friends.
The secrets to this PERFECT gluten-free vanilla cake? Almond flour gives it a beautiful crumb texture, potato starch keeps it light, and brown rice flour provides structure. Cane sugar ensures a neutral sweetness and classic vanilla cake flavor.
Then we finish it off with some cake classics: baking powder, salt, (dairy-free) milk, egg, and pure vanilla extract.
We’ve done a vegan (& gluten-free) vanilla cake before, but this version has egg, which makes for an fluffy result!
We can’t wait for you to do that vanilla cake! It’s:
Light & fluffy
Moist
Perfectly sweet
Easy to make
Gluten-free + dairy-free
& SO classic!
We love topping it with our Dairy-Free Buttercream Frosting and fresh berries, but any of our frosting recipes could be welcome. Its neutral flavor means you’ll be able to get creative and experiment with different fillings and frostings (lemon + raspberry, anyone?)!
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes
If you are trying this recipe, tell us! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photograph @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 8 (Slices)
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- 1 ⅓ cup almond flour*
- 1/3 heaping cup potato starch (1/3 heaping cup = 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp*)
- 1/4 cup brown rice flour
- 2/3 cup cane sugar (ensure organic for vegan-friendly)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2/3 cup dairy-free milk (plain, unsweetened // we used almond // we don’t recommend canned coconut milk // if not dairy-free, dairy milk must also work)
- 1 large egg* (organic, pasture-raised when possible)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and grease an 8-inch cake pan* (we used avocado oil). Set aside.
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To a medium mixing bowl, add the almond flour, potato starch, brown rice flour, cane sugar, baking powder, and sea salt. Whisk well until fully incorporated. Next add the dairy-free milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk again until just combined.
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Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and bake for 24-28 minutes, until the middle springs back when touched or when a toothpick will be removed with only just a few crumbs left behind.
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Let the cake cool in its pan for 10 minutes before flipping it onto a cooling rack to let cool completely (~2-3 hours). Frost with buttercream or whipped cream, garnish with berries, and serve!
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Best enjoyed inside 2 days. To keep leftover cake moist, cover with plastic wrap, a cake cover, or a large bowl flipped the other way up. If using a frosting that melts at room temperature, wait to frost until just before serving (really useful), or refrigerate the frosted cake then set it out at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
*Almond flour is vital on this recipe for the correct texture. The next most suitable choice is cashew flour. If nut-free, you may possibly add a neutral-flavored oil + a lesser amount of a gluten-free flour mix, however it would require some experimenting and we will’t guarantee success!
*This recipe also works well for making cupcakes (bake for ~20 minutes)! Recipe as written makes 9 cupcakes.
*Looking for a vegan + gluten-free vanilla cake? Find our vegan version here.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Serving: 1 slice Calories: 228 Carbohydrates: 31.2 g Protein: 5.1 g Fat: 10.4 g Saturated Fat: 0.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 6.4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 23 mg Sodium: 261 mg Potassium: 171 mg Fiber: 2.2 g Sugar: 17.7 g Vitamin A: 61 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 137 mg Iron: 0.9 mg
