Super Moist Gluten Free Yellow Cake {Dairy Free Option}

Super Moist Gluten Free Yellow Cake {Dairy Free Option}

Just because you are gluten free doesn’t mean you can’t have your cake and eat it too! This super moist yellow cake is my all time favorite and it’s so easy to make. Don’t be afraid to go back for seconds!

Yellow cake has always been my favorite because it brings back so many good memories of my childhood. Cake meant celebration and it still makes me happy every time I have a mouth full of delicious cake. I mean who doesn’t love cake right?

When I was testing out recipes I found that most recipes turned out too dry or too dense. Finding that perfect mixture between moist and fluffy was hard to accomplish but I finally found a winner with this recipe.

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Gluten Free yellow Cake Ingredients

  • Gluten Free Flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1)
  • Tapioca Flour (same as tapioca starch)
  • White Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Egg Yolks
  • Unsalted Butter (vegan butter for dairy free option)
  • Salt
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Milk (milk alternative for dairy free option)
  • Baking Powder
  • Xanthan Gum (even if your flour blend already contains it)

Can I Make Different Flavors?

Absolutely! This recipe is really versatile so feel free to add your own spin to it. You can add different extracts like almond, strawberry, lemon, or coconut to give the cake a fun flavor. Adding rainbow sprinkles or a bit of chopped fruit to the batter can also give it an interesting twist. The possibilities are endless so let us know in the comments what you did to make this recipe your own!

Can I Make This Cake Dairy Free?

You bet! By replacing the unsalted butter with a vegan butter like Earth Balance and replacing the milk with a milk alternative you can easily make this recipe dairy free. I would recommend using almond, rice, or coconut milk but other milk alternatives will work too. Use the same measurements that are specified in the recipe and you are good to go!

What’s The Trick To Getting A Moist & Fluffy Yellow Cake?

In order to make the cake airy and fluffy but also moist there are a few techniques and ingredients that are key. First of all you should use either a stand mixer or electric hand mixer for this recipe. Unfortunately it’s nearly impossible to get enough air into the batter and make it super fluffy beating it by hand. The perfect fluffy texture starts with a properly mixed batter which will require a stand mixer or electric hand mixer.

When it comes to the moist texture of the cake one ingredient is key here, egg yolks. By using extra egg yolks in addition to the whole eggs you add more moisture to the cake without making it overly dense. I found that using just the whole eggs made the cake more crumbly and really dried it out.

Don’t want to waste the egg whites? Save them and make yourself a delicious egg white omelet or scramble for breakfast the next day!

yellow cake

Super Moist Gluten Free Yellow Cake {Dairy Free Option}

Andrew Rabbio
Make this super easy gluten free yellow cake for your next birthday party or special event. Nobody will ever know it's gluten free!
Prep Time 18 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer or electric hand mixer
  • 1 whisk
  • 2 9" Cake Pans
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¼ cups gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill 1:1)
  • 1 tsp xanthan gun
  • 2 tbsp tapioca flour (same as tapioca starch)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract (make sure it's gluten free)
  • 16 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 3 large egg yolks at room temperature
  • 1 cup milk at room temperature

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9" round cake pans.
  • Whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, and tapioca flour.
  • In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar, soft butter, salt, baking powder, and vanilla for 60 seconds at medium-high speed, until smooth.
  • Still using the mixer, beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time at medium high speed; the mixture should become quite fluffy.
  • Continuing to use the mixer, mix in the milk, at low speed, alternately with the dry ingredients, adding about 1/3 of each at a time, and ending with the dry ingredients. Continue to mix until the batter is smooth and well combined, about 90 seconds.
  • Scoop the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the cake for about 25 to 30 minutes, about 3 to 4 minutes past the point where the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center, and a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven, and cool for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out of the pan to cool on a rack.

Notes

Want to make cupcakes?
Check out our Best Ever Gluten Free Cupcakes to make the perfect cupcakes for your next celebration.
Can I use a different flour blend?
Yes you can! I have also used Cup4Cup in this recipe with great success. Be sure the flour blend you use is rice based, this will give the best results.
How do I make this cake dairy free?
It’s easy, just replace the butter with a vegan butter substitute like Earth Balance and replace the milk with a milk alternative like rice, almond, soy, or coconut milk. Results may vary from the original recipe. 
Keyword birthday cake, cake, dairy free, dessert, Gluten Free, Yellow Cake