The Best Gluten Free White Cake is tender and moist, while dense enough not to crumble at the touch of a fork, this is exactly what I want in a white cake.
Topped with creamy fresh strawberry frosting, or a classic buttercream, this cake has received more thumbs up over the past ten years than anything else I’ve baked. The flavor combination is absolutely perfect with both almond and vanilla flavors.
Gluten Free Cake Recipes
Several years ago, my best friend asked if I would make her a gluten-free white cake. In my relative newness to gluten-free baking, I assured her that I could do that. Ha.
It took me 6, maybe 7-8, different recipe attempts, (I stopping counting after I dumped the third mess into the trash.) The taste and/or texture was never quite right.
If you are familiar with gluten-free baking, then you likely already know that recipes for traditional chocolate desserts are fairly simple to convert to gluten-free most of the time.
This is evidenced by The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cake, no one ever believes that one is gluten-free. Unfortunately, this is not true for all gluten free baking recipes.
Chocolate provides so much flavor that without it, the more “unique” flavors of the gluten free flour alternatives will often show through. This made it much harder to achieve a classic white cake flavor.
Gluten Free White Cake
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m rather picky about my gluten-free baking. (It has caused many an eye roll from my husband as I decide something just isn’t quite right, while he and my kids are happily devouring it. ha)
Because I am not restricted from eating the traditional versions myself, I often make both items side by side to taste the both versions and see if the gluten free recipe measures up. “Good enough for gluten free” isn’t something I ever want to share with you.
I’m thrilled to tell you that this is THE CAKE. This cake absolutely positively measures up. Over the past few years, I’ve made this cake with the exact recipe below countless times now and I’ve served it to over a dozen people.
It received rave reviews from every single person and they all questioned me more than once regarding whether or not it was really gluten free. (That, my friends, is a sign of gluten free recipe success!)
Gluten Free White Cake Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (2) 8″ round cake pans with butter and line the bottom of each pan with a greased parchment circle.
- Stir together the dry ingredients and set aside.
- Beat the eggs and the sugar together until creamy.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and beat again.
- Add the buttermilk, butter, vanilla and almond extracts and beat to combine.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat just until combined.
- Divide the batter between the greased cake pans.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove and let cool at least 30 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Frost as desired.
Once you’ve fallen in love with this cake the way that we have, you can use this recipe to make a Strawberry Poke Cake, a Pineapple Crush Jello Cake, or this Strawberry Mousse Cake.
The Gluten-Free White Cake recipe works great as cupcakes for a gluten-free birthday cake. My middle son loves this cake with Fluffy Chocolate Frosting. The possibilities with this cake recipe are endless.
Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!
Kitchen Tip: I use this sheet pan, this cake pan, or this cupcake pan to make this recipe.
The Best Gluten Free White Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
- 2/3 cup potato starch
- 1/3 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup butter melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (2) 8″ round cake pans with butter and line the bottom of each pan with a greased parchment circle. Stir together the dry ingredients and set aside. Beat the eggs and the sugar together until creamy. Add half of the dry ingredients and beat again. Add the buttermilk, butter, vanilla and almond extracts and beat to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat just until combined.
- Divide the batter between the greased cake pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool at least 30 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 4/1/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/14/21}
Katrina Wildey says
Made this gf white cake with double boiler frosting and coconut for my birthday. It was so light and fluffy, and delicious. It is the best white cake I have ever had!!!
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled you’re enjoying the cake, Katrina!
Angel says
My GF friend can’t tolerate xanthan or other gums. Is there a substitute for xanthan or can I leave it out? Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
Hi Angel, the xanthan is important for holding the cake holds together. However, this is a pretty sturdy cake and I’d try it without the gum before deciding it won’t work. It’s worth a shot.
Amy says
Last year, I used this recipe and marbled it with a chocolate one to make a marbled cake — it turned out pretty well. This year, I’m making cupcakes to deliver to my daughter’s friends … but the recipe didn’t come anywhere close to making 40 cupcakes, for me. I may have overfilled a couple of papers, but not enough to have made this sort of difference — it made about 24 cupcakes. I haven’t yet decided whether to make more or just limit it to 1 cupcake per person (I was planning on bringing extras to everyone). Anyway, in case anyone else is thinking of making cupcakes, I wanted to put this out there. I love the recipe, though! Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy that you’re enjoying the cake recipe so much, Amy
Penny Vere says
I’d love to try this and currently out of brown rice flour and only have white rice flour, I don’t have access to special ingredients very often. Do you think this will make a difference. I am not sure whether it is a texture thing or a nutritional thing between the white or brown. Thanks looking forward to trying this.
Mary Younkin says
White rice should work as well, Penny.
Chloe Swick says
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I do have a question though. Your recipe calls for 4 whole eggs, correct? Most recipes for white cake only call for egg whites. Does the cake remain white even with the egg yolks? Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
The photos aren’t edited for color, Chloe. As long as you aren’t using farm fresh eggs, it shouldn’t turn the cake yellow.
Natalie says
Have you ever tried this dairy free? I don’t tolerate dairy OR gluten 🥺 (feeling bad for me is the correct response- it sucks lol).
Mary Younkin says
Yes! This recipe works well with Earth Balance butter and almond milk, Natalie. Happy baking!
Yolanda Evans says
Can you make this dairy free, without the buttermilk? With changing the taste?
Mary Younkin says
I’ve made this with Earth balance butter and almond milk for a dairy free option, Yolanda. It works great.
Barbara Borntrager says
This has a soft, fine texture close to wheat flour cupcakes. I reduced the sugar to 1 cup and found it sweet enough, especially if you add frosting. I’ll be adding this to my recipe binder to make again. Also, it made 24 regular size cupcakes.
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled that you are enjoying the cake, Barbara.
Candice says
This has been my go to white cake for years now! It’s so good I don’t even fee it’s gluten free. I made it for my 3 year old birthday yesterday and people loved the cake like kept coming back for more! I love that I have found a recipe that is perfect and I feel no need to keep searching! It’s no fail! Consistently turns out great!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy to hear that, Candice!
Jamie says
Hi, this is my first time baking a gluten free cake. I followed the recipe to a T and my batter is very thick, almost like dough. Is that normal??
Mary Younkin says
Yes, the batter is thicker than a traditional cake, Jamie. It isn’t typically scoopable like cookie dough though. How did you measure your dry ingredients?
Dava says
So, I need to make this dairy free and would like to add lemon flavoring. Do you have a recipe for that?
Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
I’ve made it with Earth Balance butter and almond milk. I imagine it would be great with lemon extract added, but I haven’t made this as an actual lemon cake with zest and juice.
Allie says
I just have to say this recipe is absolutely delicious! I halved it and made cupcakes. I used King Arthur cup 4 cup gf flour, slightly less sugar and all vanilla extract. I don’t know if it’s as good as the original but they are wonderful! Light, fluffy and moist. I’ll be making these again!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you like the cake, Allie!
Beth Beaty says
I have done this cake so many times now – no one can tell it’s GF. This last time I tried the fresh strawberry frosting and got rave reviews! I wondered if you could find time to perfect the recipe for a GF regular pound cake. I have tried some recipes but they just have not been as good as a regular pound cake. Since you did such an amazing job on this white cake, I am sure you could get the perfect GF pound cake :).
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled to hear that you love the cake so much, Beth. We’ll see what I can figure out for the pound cake.