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Home » Recipes » Cakes + Tarts

Classic Birthday Cake (gluten-free)

Aug 1, 2022 · Leave a Comment

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Have an anniversary? Make this cake. Have a birthday? This is the recipe. New job, new house, made it to Friday? This is the cake for you. A classic vanilla birthday cake with chocolate buttercream sprinkles is a staple in any baker's recipe collection. It's a versatile recipe that can be used to celebrate in so many different ways. 

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter. 

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free

The cake is just one small piece of a birthday party. There are balloons and decorations to think about, as well as cleaning and cooking. You don't want a cake that's going to take up a lot of time and clutter your kitchen right before a big event. This cake recipe is easy, quick, and only uses two bowls. Because fewer bowls mean fewer dishes!

I top my bright vanilla cake with delicious chocolate buttercream frosting, but any frosting will work. This vanilla buttercream frosting or this raspberry meringue frosting would be delicious.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients for Gluten-Free Birthday Cake
  • Ingredients for Chocolate Buttercream
  • How to Make Classic Gluten-Free Birthday Cake
  • Gluten-Free Birthday Cake Substitutions
  • Gluten-Free Birthday Cake Variations
  • How to Frost Cake without Smudging
  • Equipment I Use + Love
  • How to Store Gluten-Free Birthday Cake
  • Top tip
  • Classic Birthday Cake (gluten-free)
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Birthday Cake

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-ingredients
  • Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled: always unsalted when baking. 
  • Gluten-Free Flour: I use King Arthur's Gluten-Free Flour blend in this recipe. It works well.
  • Baking Powder: makes the cakes rise.
  • Salt: I always use Redmond's Real Salt.
  • Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla Extract: love this brand because it's gluten-free.
  • Milk: I use whole milk in this recipe.

See recipe card for quantities.

Ingredients for Chocolate Buttercream

  • Powdered Sugar: is essential for all buttercream recipes. You cannot substitute powdered sugar with granulated sugar in buttercream frosting recipes. It just won't work. 
  • Heavy Cream: I like to use heavy cream because it makes the frosting taste extra creamy, but cold water or milk (whole, skim, 2%) will work as well. If you don't have heavy cream, try to use milk instead of water. 
  • Vanilla Extract: necessary for any vanilla buttercream frosting recipe. You may substitute with a vanilla bean or almond extract. A vanilla bean will leave little flakes of vanilla in the buttercream frosting.
  • Unsalted Butter: you can't make buttercream without butter! Make sure it's completely softened to make the best buttercream. See my post about why butter can be good for you HERE. 
  • Salt: I always use Redmond's Real Salt in my recipes.
  • Cocoa Powder: love this gluten-free version from Valrhona.

How to Make Classic Gluten-Free Birthday Cake

The Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter two nine-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Beat the eggs in a large bowl until frothy at medium-high speed using a whisk or electric mixer. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and melted butter and mix until combined.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into the egg mixture. Use a whisk or electric mixer at medium-high speed to fully combine the dry ingredients with the egg mixture.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Slowly pour in the whole milk and gently whisk or run the electric mixer on low until the batter is free of lumps.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Divide the batter equally between both cake pans and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.

Let the cakes cool. Then, run a knife along the edge of each cake and flip it onto a cooling rack.

Wait to frost the cakes until they are completely cool.

The Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Fit an electric handheld mixer or standing mixer with the whisk attachment. If using a handheld mixer, grab a large bowl. If using a standing mixer, fit the equipment with a large metal or glass bowl.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Add the softened butter to the bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. This takes about three minutes. Scrap down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Add half the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and salt and beat slowly until the ingredients are semi-combined. Turn up the speed to medium and beat until creamy.

Add the other half of the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed. If the mixture is too thick, add a teaspoon more cream. If the mixture is too thin, add ½ cup powdered sugar.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Continue until you get the desired consistency. Once the buttercream consistency looks good, stop whipping.

Assembly

Place the first cake layer on a stable surface with a piece of parchment paper on top. I like to frost my cake on a cake stand so I don't need to move it after the cake is finished.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Wedging paper towels underneath the cake can prevent smudges on the cake stand.

Add a scoop of the chocolate buttercream and use a knife or frosting spatula to spread it evenly across the cake.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Top with the second cake layer and add a scoop of frosting to the top. Continue adding frosting while covering the entire cake.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free-process-shot

Top with rainbow sprinkles for a delicious, bright vanilla cake.

Hint: use pre-cut parchment paper cake liners for the bottom of each cake pan. This is so much easier than cutting them yourself. Find my favorite ones that work with this recipe HERE.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free

Gluten-Free Birthday Cake Substitutions

  • Milk - you may use non-dairy milk instead of dairy milk. It is a 1:1 substitute.

Gluten-Free Birthday Cake Variations

  • Sprinkles - add some sprinkles to the batter before baking. I love using rainbow sprinkles. Rainbow sprinkles give the top of the cake a nice touch.
classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free

How to Frost Cake without Smudging

Wedging paper towels underneath the cake can prevent smudges on the cake stand. Wedge the paper towels halfway underneath the cake. After you're done frosting the cake gently tug each paper towel out from under the cake.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free

Equipment I Use + Love

  • Cake Pans - 9-inches work well for this recipe. These ones from Caraway are very pretty and of great quality, but they are more expensive. For a cheaper option, this Amazon set is perfect, too.
  • Pre-cut parchment paper cake liners - This is so much easier than cutting them yourself. Find my favorite ones that work with this recipe HERE.
  • Glass mixing bowls - are a great alternative to plastic mixing bowls that can be toxic.
  • Spatula - I love this spatula because it's very sturdy.
  • Electric Mixer - this one is such a pretty blue color! If you're looking for a standing mixer, Gilt Groupe has some really great deals. Check out this pretty mixer from Gilt Groupe HERE.
  • Whisk - a must-have in any baker's kitchen. I love this giant French Whisk and this classic whisk set of three.
  • Cake Frosting Set - this cake frosting set has everything you'll need to make this cake.
classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free

How to Store Gluten-Free Birthday Cake

Store this cake at room temperature. Cover using plastic wrap. I like to stick some long toothpicks into the cake and tent up the plastic wrap around the cake to prevent frosting smudges. You can also invest in a cake storage container!

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free

Top tip

Use pre-cut parchment paper cake liners for the bottom of each cake pan. This is so much easier than cutting them yourself. Find my favorite ones that work with this recipe HERE.

classic-birthday-cake-gluten-free

Classic Birthday Cake (gluten-free)

A classic vanilla birthday cake with chocolate buttercream sprinkles is a staple in any baker's recipe collection. It's a versatile recipe that can be used to celebrate in so many different ways. 
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • Cake pans
  • Pre-cut parchment paper cake liners
  • Glass mixing bowls
  • Spatula
  • Electric mixer
  • Whisk
  • Cake Frosting Set

Ingredients
  

The Cake

  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter melted
  • 3 cups gluten-free flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups milk

The Chocolate Buttercream

  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter two nine-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • Beat the eggs in a large bowl until frothy at medium high speed using a whisk or electric mixer. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and melted butter and mix until combined.
  • Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into the egg mixture. Use a whisk or electric mixer at medium-high speed to fully combine the dry ingredients with the egg mixture.
  • Slowly pour in the whole milk and gently whisk or run the electric mixer on low until the batter is free of lumps.
  • Divide the batter equally between both cake pans and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
  • Let the cakes cool. Then, run a knife along the edge of each cake and flip it onto a cooling rack.
  • Wait to frost the cakes until they are completely cool.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • Fit an electric handheld mixer or standing mixer with the whisk attachment. If using a handheld mixer, grab a large bowl. If using a standing mixer, fit the equipment with a large metal or glass bowl.
  • Add the softened butter to the bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. This takes about three minutes. Scrap down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  • Add half the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and salt and beat slowly until the ingredients are semi-combined. Turn up the speed to medium and beat until creamy.
  • Add the other half of the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed. If the mixture is too thick, add a teaspoon more cream. If the mixture is too thin, add ½ cup powdered sugar.
  • Continue until you get the desired consistency. Once the buttercream consistency looks good, stop whipping.

Assembly

  • Place the first cake layer on a stable surface with a piece of parchment paper on top. I like to frost my cake on a cake stand so I don't need to move it after the cake is finished.
  • Wedging paper towels underneath the cake can prevent smudges on the cake stand.
  • Add a scoop of the chocolate buttercream and use a knife or frosting spatula to spread it evenly across the cake.
  • Top with the second cake layer and add a scoop of frosting to the top. Continue adding frosting while covering the entire cake.
  • Top with rainbow sprinkles for a delicious, bright vanilla cake.

Notes

Use pre-cut parchment paper cake liners for the bottom of each cake pan. This is so much easier than cutting them yourself.
Keyword birthday cake recipe, classic birthday cake, gluten free birthday cake, gluten free chocolate buttercream frosting, vanilla cake, vanilla cupcake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just buy a gluten-free birthday cake at the store?

You absolutely can, but it's harder to find a gluten-free birthday cake at the store. Plus, gluten-free cakes and baked goods are usually very expensive. Making this recipe from scratch is so easy that there's really no need to buy a gluten-free birthday cake!

Do I have to mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl first?

Honestly, I rarely do this. You can throw all the dry ingredients in the sifter and call it a day. I think that using a separate bowl for the dry ingredients isn't necessary for most recipes. In my recipes, I won't call for a separate bowl for the dry ingredients unless it's necessary. If you like to separate the dry ingredients first, then you may add this step.

Can I add more vanilla extract?

Yes, if you like an extra punch of vanilla, add 1 teaspoon extra. It will give the cake a deep vanilla flavor.

What do I frost this cake with?

You can frost it with anything, but I recommend this decadent chocolate buttercream frosting. It makes a decadent chocolate cake!

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter. 

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