Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you a perfectly fluffy, tender, sweet vanilla cake that’s vegan and gluten-free! Let’s bake!
This recipe is easy to make, requiring 1 bowl and 10 ingredients.
The base starts with vegan “buttermilk” made by mixing dairy-free milk and vinegar. Then add in applesauce for (oil-free!) moisture and natural sweetness and vanilla extract for that quintessential vanilla flavor. YUM.
For the dry ingredients, after much experimentation, we went with a mixture of almond flour, potato starch, and cornstarch. This combo totally nailed it! So stoked for that fluffy, crumbly texture.
Once your cake is baked, it’s time for frosting!
We included two options: one is coconut whipped cream and the other is classic vegan buttercream frosting. Both are delicious, but we were feeling classic vibes, so we went for the buttercream.
We hope you all LOVE this cake! It’s:
Fluffy
Tender
Perfectly sweet
Vanilla-infused
Easy to make
& SO delicious
This would make the perfect cake for holiday or special occasion celebrations. It’s delicious on its own but also pairs well with coconut whip, vegan buttercream (recipe below), or even chocolate frosting!
For more easy cakes, be sure to check out our Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, Gluten-Free Birthday Cake, Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake, Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes, and The Best Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers and happy baking, friend!
1-Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS
- 1 2/3 cup dairy-free milk (we used boxed coconut milk // almond or rice would also work)
- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 3 1/4 cups almond flour (not meal // we prefer Wellbee’s brand)
- 1 scant cup potato starch (not flour)
- 1/3 cup cornstarch (or you can try subbing arrowroot starch for grain-free)
- 1 1/3 cup organic cane sugar*
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
VEGAN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (optional)
- 2 sticks vegan butter, softened (we prefer Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2-4 cups organic powdered sugar (sifted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and lightly grease two standard 8-inch round cake pans, one 9×13-inch, or three 6-inch round pans* (with vegan butter or coconut oil) and dust with gluten-free flour. Shake out excess and set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup, measure out dairy-free milk and add vinegar. Let set a few minutes. Then add applesauce and vanilla. Whisk/stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Then add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated and no large lumps remain. The batter should be thick but pourable (see video). Add more almond flour if too wet or dairy-free milk if too thick.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans and bake on a center rack for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges and surface appear golden brown.
- Let cool 15 minutes in the cake pans. To remove from pans, run a dull knife around the edge of the pans to loosen the cakes. Then place a plate or cooling rack on top and quickly invert. Let cool completely (preferably overnight or at least 6 hours on a wire rack) before frosting.
- Frost with coconut whipped cream and berries for a lighter application (see inspiration here), or frost generously with my 3-ingredient Vegan Buttercream Frosting (see below).
- Store cake covered at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freeze up to 1 month.
- FROSTING*: Add softened butter to a large mixing bowl and beat for 1 minute. Then add vanilla and mix once more. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and beat until a thick, spreadable frosting is formed. I found about 3 1/2 cups to be the appropriate amount per 1 full cake recipe.
- If too thick, the frosting will be too hard to spread (add 1/2 tsp almond milk at a time if too thick). If too thin, the frosting will slide off the cake. If too thin, continue adding powdered sugar until you get the right texture.
- Use immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Let come to room temperature before frosting.
Video
Notes
*To reduce sugar, each 1/4 cup of sugar be swapped with 1 packet (1/2 tsp) of powdered stevia. Or you could try subbing a mix of maple syrup and coconut sugar, but I haven’t tested it this way and can’t guarantee results.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the salt and without frosting.
*Prep time does not include cooling the cake.
*Recipe inspiration from The Vegan 8.
Kamma says
My almost 4 yo son wants a coconut cake for his birthday next week, and I’m thinking it may work to use canned coconut milk and add shredded coconut in this recipe? Do you think I would need to eliminate some of the flour/starches? Thanks for any tips!
Hi Kamma, we haven’t made this recipe into a coconut cake, but that sounds delicious! Canned coconut milk could make it more dense/heavy. Light canned coconut milk might be a better option, or another idea would be sticking with a thinner milk and adding coconut extract. We’d suggest adding the shredded coconut to the outside of the frosting to keep the cake texture light and fluffy! Hope this helps, let us know how it goes!
Brienna says
INCREDIBLE!!! I also made this for my daughters first birthday as a smash cake. She had a hard time “smashing” but I’m so glad she did because all of the adults wanted a slice. Everyone RAVED about this cake. Such a simple and clean recipe, but easily the best tasting cake out there. I used the vegan buttercream recipe. The recipe yields enough for a generous amount in between layers! I will absolutely make this over and over again
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it, Brienna! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Neha says
OMG!! This recipe is sooooo good!! I made it as a smash cake for a 1 year old and substituted the cane sugar with 1 cup of maple syrup and it worked like a charm… super soft, moist and oh so delicious 😋
Thank you soo much for the absolutely amazing recipe…
Aw, YAY! We’re so glad it turned out well. Thank you for sharing, Neha! xo
Erin says
Hi there, can I use two 9-in round pans for this recipe?
Yes! The cakes will be a little thinner, but otherwise, it works.
Evelyn Medsker says
Can you substitute gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour ( blend of rice flour, whole grain brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour whole grain sorghum flour and xanthum gum) for almond flour, potato starch and corn starch? If so, what are the measurements for the dry ingredients?
Hi Evelyn we don’t think it would work, unfortunately. But let us know if you do some experimenting!
lyn says
Compliments !! this is a great cake. lyn
Thank you, Lyn! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Rebekah says
I made this cake for my sister’s wedding. It was a huge hit! My mom doesn’t like wedding cakes, but she tried this one and said it was the best wedding cake she has ever had! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!!
Julie says
Wow! This cake is the best I’ve made with no gluten or eggs or butter. The texture is perfect. I will definitely make it again.
We love to hear this! Thanks so much for the great review, Julie!
Jess says
Could I freeze this cake with the frosting? Or is it best to freeze cake, then thaw to apply frosting?
Hi Jess, yes! Either way works.
Olivia says
Yum! Eating grain free and vegan is not easy, but this recipe takes the cake (sorry, couldn’t help myself!). I didn’t have applesauce so used mayo, and subbed arrowroot for the corn. Added some extra sugar for my husband’s sweet tooth and vanilla paste for extra flavor. Turned out MOIST, smooth, and so, so yummy. Made the buttercream with DIY powdered sugar that I didn’t quite blend long enough. Next time I don’t think it needs the extra sugar since the icing is so sweet. Ate it with macerated strawberries, would have been good with just a dallop of non-dairy whipped topping and strawberries like a moister, sweeter strawberry shortcake, maybe even will try that in muffin tins for extra cuteness.
Love that idea! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Olivia!
Heidi Keating says
I love this recipe and decided to try using Allulose as the sweetener instead of sugar. It turned out terrific! And it didn’t raise my blood sugar at all!
Thanks for sharing! So glad that swap was a success for you, Heidi!
B baker b says
I made this and messed it up badly! Cooked at 175C for 45 mins in two 8inch round tins. The cake was still very wet/raw in the middle but crisp and tough on the outside. Made no recipe changes. I’ve had this problem before with vegan baking- what am I doing wrong? Should I use conventional or fan forced, should I cover with foil, should I bake lower for longer? Thank you :)
Oh no! Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out right. Is it possible your oven runs hot or you’re using convection? We’d recommend using conventional.
giulianna says
could i use honey ad a sugar replacement? i know i would probably have to use a little less
Hi Giulianna, we haven’t tried this recipe with honey and a sugar replacement, so it might work but we cannot guarantee results. We’d suggest subbing just the cane sugar for a 1:1 dry sugar replacement, since honey will add extra moisture that might affect the cake. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Sue S says
I have made this a few times now, and it is always a big hit. This time I used the suggested brand Wellbees and it made the cake moist and perfect. I did use a bit more apple as well. Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Sue. Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Nadine says
Hi,
I was looking for a lemon poppy seed cake recipe on your site but didn’t find one- Do you think it would work with this recipe and adding lemon zest/juice and poppy seeds to the mix?
Hi Nadine! We do have some lemon poppyseed muffins but they are not gluten-free. We think your idea might work well!
Sarah says
Absolutely delicious. I can’t believe it’s gf,df, etc. made this for an Easter cake and have since made twice more for other occasions. It is up there with best cakes I’ve ever made. I did use arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch to make it grain free, and I used half macadamia milk and half almond milk because that’s what I had in the fridge. This is definitely going to be a go-to! THANK YOU!
Woohoo! So happy to hear this cake has been a repeat recipe for you, Sarah. Thanks so much for the great review!
Holly B says
How much arrowroot did you use? I’m making this for a friends birthday and plan to do the same. Thanks
Sarah says
I used all arrowroot. Same quantity as the recipe stated for corn starch.
Shotybear says
I made this cake and it was a definite winner with my littles 2 & 4 and my husband! The only complaint from my husband and I was that it wasn’t moist. Do you have any recommendations for future reference???
Hi there! We’re so glad you all enjoyed this cake. Did you happen to make any modifications to the ingredients? This cake is usually pretty moist, but it’s possible a swap in the dry or wet ingredients might dry it out more? Also, how large of a pan did you use and how long did you bake?
Jenny says
Hi, thank you for this wonderful recipe! I made 1/2 of your cake recipe today, baked in an 8” square pan. It browned beautifully and the crumb is lovely. This is the best vegan gluten-free vanilla cake I’ve made, and I’ve tried many recipes from various sources. I followed the recipe exactly, EXCEPT I forgot the potato starch was a “scant” measurement. I think 1-2 T of any ingredient makes a big difference. Will you please tell me how many tablespoons, or weight, of potato starch should be used? I had a strange sensation of starch in my mouth when I took a bite of the finished, plain cake. I think I used too much potato starch and an I’m guessing an accurate measurement will correct this. Thank you!!!
Hi Jenny, we’re so glad you enjoyed it overall! You can find the weight measurement by clicking “metric” beneath the ingredients header. Hope that helps!
Erin says
Hi! Goodness I love this recipe! Do you think your frosting recipe will work for piping and decorating them?
Yes! We’d suggest Earth Balance over Miyokos for the vegan butter so it stays firm. And make sure to use enough powdered sugar for best texture =)
Beverly Purvis says
Is it possible to substitute all-purpose flour if we’re not “gluten free”?
Hi Beverly! That might work, but we haven’t tried it. You’d probably want to start with ~1/2 the amount of flour if you use all-purpose. Alternatively, you could make our vegan funfetti cupcakes (without sprinkles if you prefer) as it’s already written with all-purpose flour! Hope this helps!
Calicia Plunkett says
Good day. I made it with mango purees. Came out perfect. It was such a hit I was trying to make another today but realize I don’t have potato starch or arrowroot. Is there anything to substitute them? Or do you have a recipe made with similar ingredients like almond flour that I could make please?
Hi Calicia! The starches are pretty important for the right texture here (and in all of our gluten-free cakes). We haven’t tried this with corn starch or tapioca starch, but those are the next best options. Hope this helps!
Alda says
It looks beautiful, I really want to try it. If I wanted to double the amount and make it bigger, what size pans do you suggest?
Thank you 🙂x
Hi Alda, another reader mentioned success doubling the recipe and making into four 8-inch cakes. Three 9-inch pans would likely work too. You’ll just want to bake longer. Hope that helps!
Alda says
Brilliant, I will try that, thank you very much!
Stella Moyer says
I have made this cake several times and it is sooo delicious! I have noticed that after day 2 or 3 it tends to dry out quite a bit. Any suggestions for keeping this cake more moist? Would you recommend increasing the applesauce?? Thank you!
Hi Stella, that might work, but it could lead to the cake being more dense/gummy. After cooling, we’d suggest storing in a sealed bag to keep it fresh. If it’s not frosted, you can heat the cake slightly (until it’s no longer cold, but not warm) to help with moisture. Hope that helps!
Amy W says
Is there any way to make this a chocolate instead of vanilla cake? Maybe by adding cocoa powder? Would it still be vegan, GF, and dairy free?
Hi Amy, we haven’t tried that, but maybe! If you try it, we’d suggest adding cocoa powder and using less of the flours. We also have a GF/Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe here. Hope that helps!
Patience says
Hi! This recipe looks great, and I’m eager to try it! The instructions say to let the cake sit for at least 6 hours or overnight. Should I cover the cake with a cheese cloth and leave it out, or is it okay to place it in the fridge? Also, how do you prevent the cake from tasting stale or cold once left overnight? Thanks!
Hi Patience, we find it’s best to let it cool uncovered at room temperature until it’s no longer warm to the touch, then transfer to a plastic bag or sealed storage container. Hope that helps!
Louise says
OMG OMG OMG! This cake is absolutely delicious!!! Thank you , thank you , thank you. Finally a recipe my kids love ! I will use this for all future birthday cakes. I really cant believe it doesn’t contain gluten or dairy and tastes this good. I live in Australia, I used corn flour (not sure if its different) but I got the same result.
Moist, beautiful to slice and not too heavy!
Amazing! So happy to hear that it worked so well for you, Louise. Thanks so much for the wonderful review!
Cali says
Good day, is there anything I can substitute the applesauce for please?
Hi Cali, we’d suggest avocado oil or another fruit or veggie purée. Hope that helps!
Cali says
So do you think mango puree might work?
Thanks for responding.
Absolutely love this cake. I’ve made it so many times.
Ooo, it might! It’s hard to say without trying it ourselves.
Kim says
I made this cake for my vegan daughter’s birthday, also have a daughter who is gluten-free. Came out looking great! So, in order to keep everyone happy, I also made a “regular” cake. Wound up everyone enjoyed this cake more than the “regular”…thanks!
Whoop! We’re so glad this cake was a hit! Thank you for sharing, Kim! xo
Bhaktimala says
Hi
I was just wondering what I could use to substitute the cornflour? Thanks
Hi Bhaktimala, you could try additional potato starch, but we haven’t tested it that way and can’t guarantee it will be the same. Let us know if you try it!
Susan Tuffnell says
Hi
I live in the UK and apple sauce is not really a thing, unless it’s the stuff in jars I used to have with roast pork. If it is then great. If not, what can I use? I tried just adding extra oil to another cake that called for apple sauce and it just fell apart. Thanks
Hi Susan! We think what you’re describing would work well, the type of applesauce you want for this recipe is like this. If you can’t find it, we think yogurt (vegan or regular) would work well in its place? Hope this helps!
Calicia Plunkett says
Hello how much would use? I don’t have almond flour. I have peanuts or Brazil nuts or coconut flour and arrowroot flour. So I’m wondering if I can grind either the Brazil nuts or peanuts and substitute the almond flour or how would substitute the almond flour with coconut flour and arrowroot flour.
Hi Calicia, we wouldn’t suggest grinding brazil nuts for this recipe as a large amount can be toxic. Peanuts would likely contribute a peanut flavor. Without the almond flour, know the texture won’t be quite the same. The next best options would be a seed meal such as sunflower, or a combination of coconut flour and arrowroot.
Bhaktimala says
Could you triple the recipe and make it into a slab cake?
Hi Bhaktimala, we’re not sure on the size of the cake you’re referring to. 1 batch of this recipe would be enough to fit in a 9×13-inch dish. Hope that helps!
Kat Schiefner says
Hi I have a nut allergy . Can regular flour be substituted for the almond flour ?
Thank you
Kathy
Hi Kathy, we’re not sure if this cake would be a good fit for all purpose flour (we haven’t tested it). But if you do give it a try, let us know how it goes! Otherwise, maybe check out these vanilla cupcakes: https://minimalistbaker.com/one-bowl-vegan-funfetti-cupcakes/
Sarah says
I have just baked this as a trial for my daughters birthday cake. My cakes have turned out very thin. I used two 8inch cake tins. I did sub and used arrowroot and also maple syrup. I was a little concerned it didn’t look enough as I poured into tins. The cake does taste delicious just very thin! Any suggestions on what to do next time? Thank you.
Hi Sarah, we used three 6-inch cake tins which does make it a bit taller (see photos for reference). Hope you enjoy the taste!
Shonagh says
Hi ,I’m so excited to make this cake for my husbands birthday, could I substitute the sugar for xylitol? Do you think it would change the texture? Many thanks
Shonagh
Hi Shonagh, we don’t have experience using xylitol, but other readers have mentioned it worked. Let us know if you try it!
Mimi says
Hello!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I have made it successfully in different size pans and it came out perfect.
Unfortunately, today I had to sub tapioca starch/flour for the potato starch. It came out usable in the standard cake pans but for cupcakes and the dome cake pan – it sunk in the middle and was a bit undone in the large pan. Lesson learned. Double check the ingredients in my cubbard.
Still baking to get the cakes needed. Baking lesson are brutal.
Cheers!
Oh, bummer! So sorry your cake didn’t work out with that substitution, Mimi. So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed it before, though! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Robin says
Do you have any recommendations for subbing out the potato starch? We need to have it GF, Vegan, and potato free…yeesh :) thank you so much! we love your recipes!
Hi Robin! This is a tricky one. Potato starch is unique because it helps bind the cake while giving it fluffiness… we think the best substitute might be a 50/50 mix of corn starch and arrowroot starch. We haven’t tried it but think it might be worth a try. Let us know how it goes!
Sveta Bansi says
Hi, I’m so impressed with all the positive comments on this cake. We do a twice a month grain free fast called ekadasi. My daughter’s birthday falls on ekadasi this year. I’m wondering if I can leave out the baking powder as that has cornflour, but I’m a bit worried as that’s the raising agent? What do you suggest? Thank you!
Hi Sveta! Good question, we haven’t tried it but we think this cake might work with just baking soda, if you increase it to 2 tsp. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Lauren says
You can make your own baking powder to be grain free/ekadasi friendly. 2 tbs cream of tartar. 1 Tbs arrowroot powder. 1 tbs baking soda. Make that mix. Whisk it well and then scoop out the amount you need for the recipe. Can also buy it at the store. It’s called paleo baking powder (no cornstarch)
Shereen says
Hello,
I was curious if I could sub coconut flour for potato starch?
I can use the potato starch if needed… I just like the taste of coconut flour.
Lovely recipe btw, I have many dietary restrictions, so I was super grateful to find this.
Hi Shereen! We haven’t tried this recipe with any coconut flour and we would not suggest swapping it for the potato starch. We think it might be too dense, but you could try substituting some of the almond flour with coconut, though you’d want to start with less since it’s much more absorbent. Hope this helps!
Hana says
hi there, i was wondering what would be a good substitute for potato starch? it’s somehow sold out at every grocery store i go to :( thanks in advance!
Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Hana. Unfortunately it is a pretty essential ingredient in this recipe for the right texture (it makes the cake lighter and fluffier). We haven’t tried any substitutions so we don’t know of any that will definitely work, but corn starch might – no promises. Hope this helps!
Tammy says
Could you sub the flours for a Gluten Free flour? If so, would the amount change
Hi Tammy, if you mean sub the different flours for one gluten-free blend, we aren’t sure it would work. The almond flour and the starches in this recipe are what give this cake it’s classic texture and cakey crumb, and we haven’t tried it with a gluten-free blend. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Emily says
I have to start by saying I never leave reviews, but this one deserves the time for one. I came across this recipe a few years ago and have used it for every birthday and celebration that calls for a cake since. As a GF vegan, I’ve had a lot of baking fails, this one has been spectacular and I’ve even made adjustments as needed. I have halved this recipe successfully and substituted ingredients as well without problem.
For reference, I have used pure maple syrup for the cane sugar, I just use less, and have also tried coconut sugar for the cane sugar without problem as well it just gives it a darker color, I have always replaced the corn starch with additional potato starch I use the same recommended cup amount, used pumpkin with cinnamon and pumpkin spice in the fall in place of the applesauce, and always use lemon in place of the ACV. I highly recommend this recipe!
Aw, we LOVE this, Emily! Thank you so much for the lovely review and for sharing all your variations! xo
Heidi Keating says
Amazing cake! I used coconut sugar and subbed tapioca for the arrowroot/cornstarch as I normally do in recipes. I made in a 9×13 and convection baked for about 30 min. Sliced a piece when it was still slightly warm and had to stop myself from going back for a 3rd piece. Moist, flavorful and perfect as a snack cake, no icing needed.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Heidi! So glad you enjoyed!
Esther says
Sounds good, thanks so much for the feedback!
Esther says
If I use gluten free flour, do I still need to add potato starch? Thanks!
Hi Esther, We wouldn’t recommend subbing gluten-free flour blend for the almond flour as it won’t turn out right. A mix of almond flour and potato starch is key for the light and fluffy texture. Hope that helps!
Tiffoni S. says
What can I substitute for potato starch? My daughter has a potato intolerance.
Hi Tiffoni! We haven’t tried it, but other readers have had success with tapioca starch in place of potato. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Tiffoni S. says
Thank you for your timely response & the tapioca starch suggestion.
Of course! Hope it goes well!
Joce says
Made this one and the strawberry one; family votes this one!
I used coconut sugar instead which gave it a slight caramel flavour YUM
Wondering though, mine came out slightly dry – any chance I can fix this if I added more apple sauce?
Hi Joce! So glad you all enjoyed! More applesauce might help, or perhaps baking a little bit less? Did you make any other modifications?
Stephanie says
Love this cake and love that it does not contain oil. Any way to make this exact cake recipe, but a chocolate version?
Hi Stephanie! We haven’t tried making this exact cake with cocoa powder, so we aren’t sure if it will work. We do have this vegan gluten-free chocolate cake that you will probably enjoy! It’s also oil-free!
Natalie says
Made this recipe today for a family birthday. I made 1/2 recipe as written and baked in a 8” pan. It was perfect! Very moist and tender. I will definitely make this again.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Natalie! So glad you enjoyed!
Adri says
Hello! I’m looking forward to making this for a family celebration in a few weeks! I can’t wait to try this :) It looks beautiful. Can you please tell me how to make the cake for 15 people? I currently have one 9 inch cake pan. Thank you
Hi Adri! A full batch of this cake will fill two 9 inch cake pans, so you can bake in two batches and make a two layer cake that can be cut into 15-16 slices of cake. Hope this helps! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Adri says
Thank you so much for your reply! It helps a lot. I will give this a go and I’ll let you know how it turns out :D
Yay!
Nicola Gladwell says
Hi! I’d love to make this for my daughter’s birthday, and am curious if the batter is thick enough to work in a springform pan?
It should be, yes!
Adri says
Thanks for the reply! I can’t source vegan buttery sticks for the frosting here in Aus. Is it okay to use any vegan butter with the 2 other ingredients mentioned? :)
Yes!
That’s so great to hear, Adri! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! xoxo
Adri says
Hello!
I just wanted to kindly asked if you could please remove my most recent comment I made on the 16th? I just prefer this to be private if that’s okay… Thank you for the beautiful recipe and your help during the process!
Thanks again,
Adriana
No problem. We’ll get that removed.
D says
Hi thank you for the wonderful recipe! I have tried it in the past and it tastes great but it dint release well from my bundt pan. I guess due to lack of oil. How much oil do you recommend adding instead of the applesauce? Planning to bake it in sometime. I hope I can hear from you before that 🤞😊. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! We’d suggest 1/3 cup avocado oil. Let us know how it goes!
Seth Caplan says
New baker here–I have a 2.5″ x 9″ d and a 2″ x 8″ d cake pan. Any advice on adjusting baking times? I think I can use the larger one and then cut it in half to make three layers total and trim the edges?
Hi Seth, we assume you’re referring to round cake pans? If so, we’d suggest using both pans! The bake time should be similar (35-40 minutes), but it’s best to check with a toothpick. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges and surface appear golden brown. Hope that helps!
Sarah B says
This was SOOOO DELICIOUS! I haven’t made a vanilla cake before, and this one did not disappoint! Thanks Dana – your recipes always work out, and become household favourites. This cake is no excpetion! <3
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review! xoxo
Lisa says
Can you use corn starch instead of the potato starch?
Hi Lisa, we don’t think more cornstarch would work, but we haven’t tried it! We find potato starch is unique in its ability to make GF baked goods light and fluffy.
Cindy says
I have made this cake and it was absolutely beautiful! I substituted the apple sauce with baby food apples (sugar free), the potato starch with Tapioca starch and the cane sugar with stevia (as I was not able to purchase the required ingredients where I live). I made the cake the day before and iced it on the day. The cake was very moist and even those who are not vegan/gluten free loved it!! Thankyou so much for this recipe, it is the best one I have found for vegan/gluten free!!!!
Hooray! We love to hear this. Thank you so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Cindy!
Aluna says
I made this cake couple of times. It comes out rubbery and has no texture. I use a blender, not a mixer. What could be the problem?
That could be! Or are you making any modifications to the flours?
Aluna says
On 1st try, I followed the recipe as it is. It came out rubbery and had no texture. On 2nd time I added 1/8 olive oil and 1/8 GF flour to get some texture. It came out like a muffin and heavy. On both, I used a blender for about 5-8 min.
Hi Aluna! It does sound like you were blending the mixture for quite a long time, perhaps this broke down the flours too much and resulted in the more rubbery and heavy textures. Over mixing can often change your results in baking!
Muna says
Can you use King Arthur GF flour? We are allergic to nuts and oats and gluten and dairy and egg.
Hi Muna, Unfortunately this cake relies heavily on almond flour for the crumb texture, but it’s possible a gluten free flour blend could work okay mixed with a little coconut flour? If you try it, we’d suggest starting with less flour as GF blend is more absorbent than almond. Since we haven’t tried with these modifications, we can’t guarantee it will work!
Rosalba Pedroza says
Wow, so many great reviews, but I’ve made this twice and it hasn’t worked for me. I did read that some had the same experience in that it looked done, toothpick came out clean, but when it inverted after cooling it didn’t hold. The cooked part had a great taste.
We’re so sorry that’s been your experience, Rosalba! Did you make any changes to the flours? Or is it possible your baking powder is expired?
Marketa says
I’d love to make this for my little one’s first birthday, but he can’t have cornstarch or arrowroot. Do you think using extra potato starch in place of the cornstarch would work here?
We haven’t tried that so we’re not certain, but think it should work! Let us know how it goes!
Shelly says
I’m trying to make a peppermint white chocolate cake for the holidays.
Could I sub the vanilla extract for peppermint extract in the batter? Or should I use peppermint extract in addition to the vanilla?
Also, if I wanted to make a white chocolate buttercream, could I add 4 ounces to your frosting ingredients?
Yum! We think it might work best to do 1/2 and 1/2 peppermint and vanilla, as peppermint extract can be quite strong. For the frosting, we haven’t tried that but we think it would work. Let us know how it goes!
Brittany says
Can you make this without cane sugar and with agave instead? I’ve ordered a specialty vegan vanilla birthday cake with agave and loved the gentle sweetness to it, but wasn’t sure the measurements of agave as a substitute in your recipe – please help!
Hi Brittany, The sugar helps with texture in this recipe, so we aren’t sure that would work. If using a liquid sweetener, you’ll likely need to add more flour to compensate for the extra moisture. Hope that helps!
Kasia says
Hi, can you quantify 2 sticks vegan butter? I’m working from a container of Vegan butter.
Hi Kasia, Yes! 1 stick is 1/2 cup or 112 g. 2 sticks = 1 cup or 224 g. Hope that helps!
Margaret says
Hi. I have to use a different brand of vegan butter and I think it’s measured differently. How many ounces is 2 sticks?
Hi Margaret, 1 stick is 1/2 cup or 112 g. 2 sticks = 1 cup or 224 g. Hope that helps!
Victoria Holsclaw says
I make this cake ALL. THE. TIME! It’s the best. Thank you so much for it!!!
Do you think I can add freeze dried strawberries to the batter?
YUM! That sounds delicious! We think it could work. Or have you seen our strawberry cake recipe?
Jenn says
Contest winner right here-I just wanted to come back and put a little appreciation in here-I don’t normally write reviews but I do read through them before trying out a new recipe. MB has been a tried and true go to for me for years-thank you! Living with Celiac and being vegan can often seem very limiting but not armed with these recipes. And they have shown non restricted eaters or lifelong carnivores how great eating clean and healthy can be. This cake was no exception. In fact, it won the Pie and Cake contest I entered!! It was very competitive and it actually was sitting in the sun and had begun melting but still won and was raved about by everyone! I did a 2 layer 8 inch cake, used the buttercream frosting and made a simple raspberry filling. Personally, I feel like the sweetness was a bit much for me, although not one person said anything about that-perfection was said a few times ;) , and will try reducing the sugar next time(and there will be many next times) but wanted to do it as written.
Woah! We’re honored it won the contest! That raspberry filling sounds like an incredible addition. Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Jenn! xoxo
Woan says
Can this be made into cupcakes? What modification is necessary?
Yes! We’d suggest baking at 350 F for ~25-30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Hope that helps!
Britt says
How much AP flour should I use instead of the flours listed here? Thanks!
Hi Britt! We haven’t tried it but it might work to use ~2.5-3 cups AP flour! Let us know how it goes!
Tk Osborne says
So what I really need to how to change this recipe to be a pineapple upside down cake. I am curious if I can sub some Of the milk with pineapple juice to give it some flavor? How much change would still allow the cake to come out correctly?
Hi, we haven’t tried that, but it might work! Another idea would be to sub pineapple puree in place of the strawberry puree in our strawberry cake. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Tina Wallace says
This cake was easy to make and delicious. It was moist and had the crumb of a gluten cake. This is now my go to white cake recipe.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Tina! Thank you for sharing! xo
Jen says
Love all your recipes but noticed so many of them use apple sauce. What can I use as an alternative to apple sauce? Olive oil? Or should I just leave it out completely?
Thanks
Hi Jen, we’d suggest avocado oil in this one. In other recipes, another fruit or veggie purée (beet, pumpkin, banana) might be a better fit. Hope that helps!
Maureen says
What size cake pans did you use?
6-inch round pans. Hope that helps!
Marianna says
Hi, I recently did this recipe (followed it almost step-by-step (substitute the cane sugar for coconut sugar and used half of the amount) using the metric measurements and the consistency of the dough was really condensed, it seemed even like a shortbread dough. It was definitely not pourable like you show in the video. Do you have any idea what could have affected so much the consistency? Flavour wise was delicious, strong flavour of the almond and the vanilla
Hi Marianna, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out quite right! Cane sugar is ideal here, so coconut sugar could partly be the issue. But it sounds like the dough was too thick – is it possible you were using potato flour instead of potato starch? Other readers have reported it works well with the metric measurements, but we do use cups and then convert to metrics, so you could try using cups to see if that makes a difference.
Rebecca says
Can I use this recipe to make a rainbow cake and add in the food colouring?
We haven’t tried that, but we think it would work! Let us know if you try it out!
Mesa says
I’d love to know if you were able to make this work? Hoping to do the same this weekend!
Annna says
Hi! This recipe says to dust the cake pans with gluten free flour but I don’t have any on hand. I just bought the potato starch and the almond flour for the recipe. Can I dust with a mix of those? Thank you!
Yes!
Dana says
Hi what can I use instead of potato starch?
Hi Dana, The potato starch is unique in its ability to make GF baked goods light and fluffy. If it’s possible to order it online, that would be best. Otherwise, cornstarch would probably be the next best option.
Chloe says
Hi there! Really want to try this recipe but can’t seem to find potato starch anywhere :/ It’s a little difficult to find gluten free products where I live. I was wondering whether it would be possible for me to substitute more cornstarch in place of the potato starch?
Thank you!
Hi Chloe, we don’t think more cornstarch would work, but we haven’t tried it! The potato starch is unique in its ability to make GF baked goods light and fluffy. If it’s possible to order it online, that would be best. If not, other readers have had success with a mix of arrowroot + coconut flour in place of the potato starch in our similar chocolate cake recipe. Hope that helps!
Sam says
Just wanted to pop some feedback here for the sub of 50/50 arrowroot & coconut flour in place of the potato starch. Unfortunately potato starch is not readily available where I am either so I tried this last night. The cake came out like a sticky (albeit tasty) brick, didn’t work for me at all.
I look forward to maybe trying this recipe in future if I can find potato starch but until then, just wanna save the waste of ingredients for any other readers!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Sam. Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out well with the arrowroot + coconut flour combo! Potato starch really is a special flour for GF baking, so if you can order it online, we’d highly recommend!
Debbie says
I have made this cake several times and it turned out great every time everybody always loved it. Getting ready to make it again for a friends birthday and she doesn’t do the cane sugar do you think it would really be OK do use the Monk fruit in place of the cane sugar.
Hi Debbie, we’re so glad you enjoy it! We haven’t tried it with monk fruit, but other readers have mentioned doing so with success. We would suggest a granulated form (vs. a liquid extract). Let us know how it turns out!
Jennifer says
Sooo good! This was a huge hit in my family and friends. I have struggled to a great vanilla cake and icing in the past but no longer!! Try it so worth it!! The first vanilla cake I’ve ever loved and wanted more of!.
Woohoo! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it, Jennifer. Thank you for sharing! xo
Dianne Sohi says
Followed recipe exactly and it turned out beautifully. Even put the berries on top like in the picture. My first time baking vegan and gluten free so I was skeptical. However, I would make it again without hesitation. Delicious!
Yay! We’re so glad it turned out well, Dianne. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Fatima says
If someone is allergic to nut what alternative can we use for the almond flour?
Hi Fatima, The almond flour is pretty key here, but if you were going to try something we’d say a seed meal such as sunflower or a blend of coconut flour (if not allergic) and arrowroot starch (or cassava flour) would be your best bet. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Ariel says
Absolutely delicious. I used almond meal, but blended with an immersion blender first (weird, but worked).
Ooo, creative! Thanks for the lovely review, Ariel! We’re so glad you enjoyed. xo
Chelsey Brown says
Hi! I am looking to make this cake for a birthday and needing to make it Nut Free. Could I use your GF Flour blend instead of the almond flour?
Hi Chelsey! Unfortunately this cake relies heavily on almond flour. It is possible that a gluten free flour blend could work, maybe mixed with coconut? But we aren’t sure and we haven’t tried it! xo
Holly says
Hello! How does this cake do with making ahead of time and freezing? Thank you!
Hi Holly, it’s best when fresh (due to the potato starch), but can be frozen.
Karen Hartman says
I made this using coconut flour and it baked up like gelatin. Tasted good. My grand-daughter is allergic to gluten, dairy, poultry and tree nuts. I would like to bake her a birthday cake. Each time I try a gluten free vegan recipe it comes out solid like firm jello. There must be a secrete, we buy her a special cake each year so I know it can be done. I followed recipe and measured but mine took much more milk and was still very thick.
Please help
Hi Karen, sorry to hear that happened! Coconut flour is definitely the issue. It’s very dry and absorbent. We’d suggest using the combination of flours mentioned for best results. You can learn more about gluten-free flours here. Hope that helps!
Anna D says
The first time I made this, the same thing happened to me. I had measured carefully but only by following the US Customary system. The second time I used a scale and metric system and it came out perfect! So that’s what I’d recommend (I just used almond flour tho so I dunno about coconut).
Megan says
I rarely write reviews but this cake was amazing! I made to for my mom’s birthday and everyone loved it. We all thought it tasted like “real” cake and none of us are actually vegans or gf. I followed the ingredients exactly and measured very carefully without a scale and it was perfect! The texture was spot-on, very moist, and it was just the right amount of sweet. I used two 9-inch baking pans and it didn’t need the full baking time. At about 22 minutes, the cakes were golden brown and passing the toothpick test so I pulled them early. I topped mine with store bought vegan icing and strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. This cake was magical. I highly recommend this recipe and will be making it again!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Megan! We are so glad to hear everyone enjoyed it! xoxo
Cheryl says
Hi! For the dairy free milk — would fully fat or light coconut milk be better? Does canned work? I usually drink/use almond, but seems like a creamy coconut would be better for this?
Looking forward to making this for a gender reveal party!
Hi Cheryl! We prefer boxed non-dairy milk here (almond would work perfectly!) as it helps keep the texture fluffier. Canned coconut milk would probably make the cake too dense. Let us know how it goes if you give the cake a try! xo
Jess says
Hi there, is there something we can use as a substitute for potato starch?
Hi Jess, The potato starch is somewhat of a staple ingredient. But other readers have had success with a mix of arrowroot + coconut flour in place of the potato starch in our similar chocolate cake recipe. Let us know how it goes!
Sara Larman says
Hi I made this twice in the last two days for a party and worked great without potato starch both times. I ended up using cornstarch in place of the potato starch and then I used the amount of arrowroot starch for the cornstarch. :) it was sooo good!
Brooke Kaoulekian says
Professional pastry chef here.
Made this cake for the first time tonight. I usually make vegan cakes but was in search of one that could also be Gluten-free and versatile to change the flavour of the base.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE!
I had no issues with the bake at all. the directions were so well explained but I can see where the few bad commenters have gone wrong.
1. The consistency of the batter is key in how the cake will bake.
I followed the ingredients and noticed before dividing amongst my pans that it was ever so slightly thinner. Give your bowl a good scrape down to make sure all ingredients are evenly mixed, I followed by adding approximately 20g extra Gf plain flour blend and was happy with the consistency.
2. Some said that this was closer to cornbread… NOT TRUE. This cake was like eating a cloud, light, delicate as lace and tender. This comes down to the quality of ingredients used. I only had almond meal on hand and as specified you must use Almond flour. I weighed all drys together and through into my food processor for 30 seconds until super fine. came out like a dream.
3. Helps to leave your vinegar and milk to sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken up.
4. REPLACEMENTS- I omitted the apple sauce as I like to use ingredients I always have on hand. I replaced the apple sauce with 42g neutral flavoured oil, in my case is was rice bran oil but you can use any neutral-tasting oil. ( this is half the metric requirement of the apple sauce taking into consideration swapping out a solid for liquid)
5. For goodness sake help yourselves and use grams/metric measurements when baking. baking is a science.. it is well proven to have better and far more consistent results. if something has gone wrong and there are many that swear by the recipe then the problem lies in human error. Give yourself the best chance for success by using grams.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this killer recipe Minimalist Baker! will definitely be adding this to my repertoire.
Brooke Kaoulekian says
Edit** forgot to add also..
I baked this in 3x 6inch round tins divided evenly using a scale. they took 30 minutes exactly and I checked them at 25minutes with a skewer test. Decided they needed 5 minutes extra and the skewer came out clean. they cooled completely in their tins.
I added 1/4 tsp xanthan gum to my dry ingredients also out of knowledge of gf products and what to ensure it wasn’t crumbly but i’m not sure if it was necessary, Although it came out fantastically.
Thank you so much for this incredibly helpful and kind review, Brooke! We really appreciate you sharing your experience! xoxo
Mari says
This was really good! The texture is between a cake and cornbread, but I liked it that way.
I didn’t have any applesauce so I used some cashew yogurt and uses about 1/4 cup coconut flour because I ran out of almond flour. I paired this with a (non-vegan) fresh strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream and it was delicious!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mari! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Vinnie says
This cake was delicious! At first I thought it was going to be more like a mud cake, but it’s so deceiving! It was so soft and fluffy. It had the appearance of being under cooked, but it wasn’t. It was perfect. I don’t think I made the butter cream properly as I found it too sweet. The cake however had the right amount of sweetness. This is going to be my go to cake. I’m going to try it with whipped coconut cream next time I make it. 😊❤️ Had I not made this cake, I would never have believed it was vegan and gluten free.
We are thrilled you enjoyed it, Vinnie! Thank you for the lovely review! Coconut whipped cream is the way to go if you prefer less sweetness =)
Rachel says
I’ve made this cake maybe 15 times. It hits every time. Key is using blanched almond flour. (Super fine). And I let the coconut milk and ACV sit for a while together. I bring it to work and every vegan non vegan GF non GF love it. Bless you
Amazing!! Thank you for sharing, Rachel! xo
nani says
I made this cake several times and always got good results. Love it!
I always use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch. I have tried plain yogurt instead of apple sauce giving good texture. Coconut sugar gives it a very good flavor and color too.
I always get a wet batter than I see in the video using grams to measure so I add 3 Tsp of Psyllium Husk, what could be causing this?
Hi Nani, we’re so glad you enjoy it! It’s possible the tapioca starch is making the difference. You can add more flour if it’s not cooking through all the way. Hope that helps!
nani says
Thank you!! I’m going to try with more flour
Kim says
This cake was AWESOME!!! I reduced the amount of sugar because I was making it for a diabetic, and I used your suggested swap of stevia. The amount was perfect. I served the cake with Cocowhip and fresh strawberries and blueberries. Thank you!
Yum! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Kim! xo
Elisabeth says
Any chance you can convert quantities into UK measures- either ounces or grammes please? Im wondering if this is why the reviews are so diverse ( and some are plain rude!) In UK we can access cups but its hard becasue some are UK cups, some American and some Australian. Ounces or grammes would be sooooo helpful? Thank you
Hi Elisabeth, you can find those measurements by clicking “metric” beneath the ingredients header. Hope that helps!
Barbara Jackson says
Doh! Thank you, I didn’t see that!
Ewa says
Hi! I was baking a cake for a friend and was at first a bit on the fence after reading reviews, seems like for some people it didn’t bake well. I risked it…and it turned out perfect! Really tasty and people definitely couldn’t tell it was vegan and gf. Thank you :)
Wahoo! Thank you for the lovely review, Ewa. So glad it worked for you and was enjoyed by all!
Carrie says
Great recipe! The first time I made it all I had was two 9in round pans. So the layers were of course thin but delicious. Next I made cupcakes. Delicious! Next I made banana cupcakes. Switched for the applesauce. Delicious! Yesterday a 13×18 birthday cake. Made two 9×13, baked 35 minutes. A real birthday cake for an 8 year old. Thank you!
Woohoo! We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying it, Carrie. Love the banana idea. Thank you for sharing! xo
Carrie says
Can I make this in a 9×13 pan? What temperature, for how long?
Hi Carrie, that should work well without adjusting the recipe. After 35-40 minutes, insert a toothpick into the center to see if it comes out clean. If it doesn’t, try another 3-5 minutes at a time until it does. Hope that helps!
Sarah says
The WORST recipe ever. I followed it exactly and embarrassed myself at the baby shower. Do NOT use this recipe. Middle was so gooey and borderline raw but the outside was cooked and almost burned. The temperature of the oven was exact and the state that I live in was average temperature. Flavorless and too chewy don’t waste your time or money making this.
Hi Sarah, we’re so sorry to hear that happened. It definitely sounds like something went wrong and that it either needed to be baked longer or needed more flour(s). What size pan(s) did you use?
Heena says
Can I use oat milk in this ?
Any vegan , soya free and nut free , coconut free butter you can recommend in UK ?
Thanks
Hi Heena, We think oat milk will work! Unfortunately we’re not familiar with brands in the UK, but Earth Balance and Miyokos are our favorites in the US.
Cynthia says
This is a GREAT recipe! I used it to make a wedding cake for a friend who has celiac, and everyone cleared their plates. So moist and yummy. This will be my go-to recipe for many cakes to come!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing, Cynthia! P.s. what a kind thing to do for your friend – we want to be your friend =)
Sandra Boyachek says
Did you freeze ahead or just make the wedding cake the day ahead? Keep cool or keep on counter? Thanks!
Brenda says
Would I be able to substitute sweet potato starch for the potato starch here? Or are they significantly different?
Hmm, we’ve never experimented with sweet potato starch, so we’re not sure. But russet potatoes have more resistant starch than sweet potatoes so it might not have the same effect. Let us know if you try it!
Julia Rabig says
I made this for my husband’s birthday party and everyone loved it. I find that GF and vegan treats often have more flavor and texture than conventional baked goods and this was no exception. The almond flour and the “butter” cream pair deliciously and we enjoyed leftover cake for breakfast the next day.
Alterations: I doubled the vanilla for more intense flavor. I also added some very strong coffee to the icing to give it some contrast to the vanilla in the cake.
Keep in mind: This cake does not rise very high, so the double or triple layer is going to make for a more attractive dessert than the sheet version. Next time I make it, I’ll try adding whole strawberries to the icing between the layers to give it some height.
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing your experience and tips, Julia! xo
Yana says
Complete disaster. These measurements don’t work for almond flour at all. I didn’t check how much I was supposed to use in grams and measured it by cups… with 3 cups I ended up using 500 g of flour! No wonder I got a cookie dough instead of a proper batter. I poured a whole box of almond milk to try to fix, but of course it doesn’t work like that. A whole bowl of batter landed in a garbage. What a waste of products and time…
So sorry this didn’t work out for you, Yana! Did you make any other modifications? We’d love to help troubleshoot if we can! xo
Pamela Cogan says
I found this cake to have a distinctive baking soda aftertaste. The ingredients were carefully measured.
I’ll try it again without the baking soda. Maybe I’m sensitive to this taste, as I’ve had this problem in the past with other recipes from different sources.
Oh no! Sorry this happened for you. It will affect the texture if you omit it completely, but let us know how it goes if you try it!
Lyric says
This vanilla cake is the best! I use a mix of sugar and sugar alternatives like monk fruit and xylitol and it comes out amazing every time, it’s so forgiving! I make cupcakes from this too, just cook them for a shorter time. Love this recipe so much!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Alani says
This cake didn’t turn out for me. It was really hard and crumbly and the flavor was more like a corn bread than a cake. I’ve made so many of your recipes so I had high hopes! I made it twice and both times it was the same.
Oh no! So sorry this recipe hasn’t worked out for you yet. It sounds like your batter might be too dry, different brands of almond flour can absorb liquid differently, so we’d suggest adding extra dairy-free milk 1 Tbsp at a time until you get a consistency like the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you try again! xo
Pamela Cogan says
I agree with this comment. Not a cake texture. Very solid.
Bummer! Can you share more of your experience? We’d love to help troubleshoot if we can! xo
Sofie says
I have heard great things about this recipe. Before I bake, I wanted to ask a quick K question. I love the idea of a small, layered cake. I have one 6″ cake pan, so if I bake in batches will the layers come out differently due to wait time between baking?
That would be fine! They need to cool before frosting anyways, so it shouldn’t make a difference. To make the layers even, you can use a scale to measure the weight of the full amount of batter, then divide by how many layers you’re making.
Carmell Childs says
Why did you choose to leave out the aquafaba from the original recipe…. just curious if you can taste it in the finished cake? Wouldn’t it make the cake lighter once whipped?
Hi Carmell, we wanted to keep it a 1 bowl recipe and as easy and approachable as possible. We find it’s fluffy without it.
Carmell Childs says
Fabulous! Thank you!!! I can’t wait to try it!!
april says
I just made this cake. It was super delicious and moist. No one could tell it was Vegan and GF. I got lots of compliments. Thank you for such a delicious cake. I did make a few slight changes.
first. I did not have 1 scant cup potato starch (not flour) So I had to sub with 1 scant cup of arrowroot. I also used the 1/3 cup arrowroot starch like the recipe states. I noticed that the batter was very liquidy. I added about 1/4 cup of extra almond flour. I made this is a springform pan. I felt I only had enough for two layers for a 9in cake. I cooked it at 350 F for 25 minutes but I had to add a few minutes at the end when I noticed the middle wasn’t completely cooked. For the frosting I really messed up. I whipped it way too long. It came out flat and gritty looking. The taste was on point but the appearance was off. This was truly a great cake. My best critic husband said it was so moist like a cookie dough. But it was amazing. He asked for me to make it again. This is truly a winner. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, April. Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo
Julie says
Hi. There! I only have one 8” round cake pan. How long do I need to bake it in this?
Hi Julie, we’d suggest making a half batch or baking in two rounds for best results. 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges and surface appear golden brown.
Krisztina says
I was wondering if this cake can be decorated with Royal Ice rather than frosting ice please? Thank you
Hmm, we haven’t tried that but if you do, let us know how it goes!
Sarah says
I made this recipe using a granulated monk fruit sweetener (1:1 substitute for the regular sugar), and it turned out wonderfully. Very moist, not too sweet, and the people who tried it couldn’t tell it was gluten or sugar free (and vegan to boot!). It was incredibly easy as well, so this is going to be my go-to recipe for gluten free cake!
Yay! We’re so glad it turned out well. Thanks for the update, Sarah! xo
Sarah says
For making this friendly for diabetics, could I replace all of the sugar with powdered stevia? According to your notes that’s only a little over 2 tsp. Is that correct? Also, would a granulated sweetener like monk fruit work as well?
Hi Sarah, a granulated sweetener like monk fruit would actually be best for texture. Let us know if you try it!
Sarah says
Would you suggest using the same amount of monk fruit as regular sugar then? Like gram for gram?
Hi Sarah, we’d suggest using the ratio on the brand of monk fruit you have. We haven’t experimented with it much, but think it’s usually 1:1.
Christina Moore says
Hi, I am making this for my mum who has a nut allergy. Would rice flour work in place of the almond flour? Thanks
Hi Christina, The almond flour is pretty key here, but if you were going to try something we’d say a blend of coconut flour (if not allergic) and arrowroot starch (or cassava flour) would be your best bet. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Dani says
Is it possible to make this with oat flour instead of almond flour?
Hi Dani, The almond flour is pretty key, but if you were going to try something we’d say a blend of coconut flour and arrowroot starch (or cassava flour) would be your best bet. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
HANNAH says
I love this cake so much! Can you make it into a chocolate cake though just by adding cocoa?
Hi Hannah, we haven’t tried that, but maybe! If you try it, we’d suggest reducing the flour. We also have a GF/Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe here.
Tiana says
Hi! Would I be able to use tapioca starch instead of potato starch?
Hi Tiana, we haven’t tried it, but a couple other readers have and mentioned it contributed to a gooey texture. Arrowroot would be the best alternative.
HANNAH says
I’ve used both – tapioca makes a very dense and “raw” feeling / tasting cake. Flavor is still delicious, but the texture was not popular
Dea says
Does this cake stay moist or does it get dry after a day or two? How do you keep gluten and dairy free cakes moist?
This one is actually surprisingly moist!
Anna says
Hi I love the cake! I’ve made it many times, but now I’m baking for someone with a tree nut allergy. She’s not gluten free, so we could use wheat flour but I thought I’d check here to see what you’d recommend subbing for best texture. Normal wheat flour or a blend of coconut flour and arrowroot starch?
Hi Anna, we think it would be too dry with wheat flour, unfortunately. Coconut flour and arrowroot starch are okay, but just know the texture is not going to be as good as the almond flour – it will be more dense/dry. We wonder if maybe this funfetti cupcake recipe (you can omit the sprinkles) would work better for a nut-free option? Other readers have mentioned making it in a cake pan. Hope that helps!
Ez says
Hi! I’m trying to this cake, so I followed the recipe precisely.6inch pans, didn’t alter any ingredients, used the stated oven temperature and time… after 40mins it looked sooooo good and gold, toothpick came out clean. So I let it cool for 15mins and then when removing the pan, the bottom half looks underdone or like cookiedough substance or something? So I tried to save it, lowering the temp so it could bake longer without burning but it didn’t do anything anymore… please help, because it do taste delicious! What could went wrong?
Hmm, did you slice into it? Was it in fact underdone? Sounds like the bottom may have just been a little crumbly. Is your oven evenly heated, or have you ever had issues with food being unevenly cooked?
Melinda Hoover says
I can’t have Almond flour. Would you mind suggesting an alternate flour I could use for this cake? Thank you
The best sub I think would be cashew flour, or a mix of coconut flour and arrowroot starch. Let us know what you try!
Ash says
How long should I bake if I wanted to make these into cupcakes instead? And is there something I could use instead of potato starch (we’re not gluten free)?
Hi Ash, We’d suggest baking at 350 F for ~25-30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The potato starch is somewhat of a staple ingredient. But other readers have had success with a mix of arrowroot + coconut flour in place of the potato starch in our similar chocolate cake recipe. Let us know how it goes!
AnnaD says
I just made this recipe into (22) cupcakes. I used a metal cupcake pan, baked at 350° for 26 min. — they came out perfect! For frosting, I halved the recipe above and I had enough + a little left over.
Thank you! So yummy.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Anna!!
Connie says
Made this cake for a family birthday, so good!! I followed the recipe instructions as written. Bob’s Red Mill super fine almond flour was used. The coconut whipped cream was my choice of frosting but I couldn’t find the brands recommended in the local grocery stores. So, I purchased two 9 oz cartons of CocoWhip(coconut whipped topping), in the freezer section at Natural Foods. It was enough to frost between 3 6″ layers and the outside with a bit left over. This cake was a hit with adults and kids at the birthday party!!
Amazing! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing, Connie!
DK says
Hi, I want to bake this cake in a bundt pan. Can you please let me know what temperature and for how long I should bake it? I intend to add rose petal jam to the batter to give it that flavor. Please let me know the temp & timing for bundt pan. Thanks a ton 🙏
I’m thinking 350 for ~30-45 minutes? Let us know if you try!
DK says
This turned out very very delicious and perfect! I added rose petal jam and made 15 mini cupcakes (baked for 15mins) and a bundt cake. Bundt cake dint release well at all and it was the first time ever this happened to me with this pan. Nevertheless I salvaged it and made some cake rusks (crunchy biscotti types) with half and a huge cake pop with more jam with the rest. It was loved by everyone! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Rose petal jam sounds amazing! Thanks so much for sharing! We wonder if this one being oil-free made it difficult to release?
DK says
My guess is the same. Perhaps being oil-free must be the reason it dint release well from the bundt pan. Any thoughts on how to make that work in the future?
You’d need a nonstick bundt pan I think. Otherwise lightly grease and flour to help it release!
Arielle Wellons says
I love this cake. I’ve made it twice, and both times it was delicious. The second time I didn’t have applesauce, so I substituted coconut oil. It turned out great! (The only challenge was that the oil solidified in the milk when I mixed them, so I had to warm it all up.)
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Arielle! Ah, yes, if using almond milk directly from the fridge, that can happen. We’d suggest leaving it out of the fridge for a bit to prevent that.
Pooja says
Hi Dana! Thank you for this recipe. I’m making this tomorrow for my birthday :) I have 2 six inch cake pans. Would the bake time vary if i put only 2 six inch cakes in the oven? Also, can i refrigerate the leftover batter to make a single layer cake a couple days later?
Thank you!!
Hi Pooja, the difference in bake time should be minimal – maybe a couple minutes? For refrigerating the batter a few days, we haven’t tried that, but it might be okay. Rehydrate with a little almond milk if it looks too dry. Let us know if you try it.
Kaylee says
I have made this cake 5 times. This cake is delicious!!! But the only thing is I am struggling getting the same consistency as the photo. The cake looks wet not fluffy. Is there any thoughts on what I am doing wrong. I have tired cooking the cake longer and it still has the same problem. I followed the recipe to a T.
Thanks!
Hmm, I’d say this is a more dense cake so it won’t be as fluffy as your average cake. Also, cut it with a serrated or cake knife for even fluffier texture!
AnnaD says
I’ve made this cake twice. The first time I just followed the US Customary portions sizes. It also came out not looking as great as these photos (seemingly a little wet). The second time I used a scale and followed the metric measurements and it came out perfect! That’s what I’d recommend doing.
Thanks for sharing, Anna!
Luciana Nevarez says
I wanna make this recipe for a dozen cupcakes, how do * adjust the oven temp and time?
Thank you!
Hi Luciana, We’d suggest baking at 350 F for ~25-30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let us know how it goes!
Mary Ellen says
…this cake is our favorite – loved by all family members with or without food restrictions! I was drawn to this recipe because it didn’t require a “gluten free blend flour”…so many no-no’s in those pre-mixes for us.
I’ve made as written…and have made it many times over the last year. Thank you for sharing.
Amazing! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy it. Thanks for sharing, Mary Ellen!
Ela says
I’m so excited to try this cake! If I wanted to add almond extract in addition to the vanilla extract (to get that classic wedding cake flavor), how much should I add? Or will it mess up the recipe entirely?
Hi Ela, we haven’t tried with that modification, but we think it would be nice. Maybe 1/2 teaspoon? Let us know if you try it!
Ela says
I tried it adding 1/2 tsp almond extract to the batter and to the icing, and it was PERFECT! Thanks to this incredible recipe, I don’t have to miss out on one of my favorite desserts anymore!
Oh amazing! Thanks for sharing, Ela!
Kabria Pervoe says
Delicious cake I made for my best friends birthday. It was absolutely incredible, moist, flavorful and not overly sweet. I used 2 teaspoons of vanilla in the cake instead of one and the flavor was perfect. I also used arrowroot starch for grain free. My friend and her husband (who isn’t gluten free or vegan) both described it as cake crack. Tried a slice today nearly three days later and it was still as moist and delicious as day one. Definitely going to make it again. Feeling inspired for what’s possible in vegan and gluten free baking. Thank you, MB!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kabria!
Andrea says
I made this and it is marvelous. I had no applesauce but I had black currents in the freezer. I boiled the black currents and mashed them and used that instead. I replaced the sugar with xylitol. It worked. It’s moist and light and purple!
Sounds gorgeous and very creative! Thanks for sharing, Andrea!
Laura says
I loved this recipe! I’m newly gluten free for health reasons so this was my first birthday with a gluten free cake. I am happy to say the flavor was just the same (in my opinion better) than regular cake! The texture was more dense than/not as fluffy as normal cake but this is common with gluten free baking. Bonus that it made my whole house smell like yummy vanilla heaven! I only used 3 cups almond flour and 1 cup cane sugar and I used 1/2 cup arrowroot starch + 1/2 cup coconut flour in place of the potato starch. I did need to add 1 additional cup of unsweetened almond milk (added in 1/4 cup increments) as the batter was quite thick at first. I paired this with the date-sweetened chocolate frosting (AMAZING!). Overall, very pleased with how it turned out. Thanks, Dana!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Laura! Happy birthday and thank you so much for the lovely review! xo
Marcy says
This looks delicious. I plan to try it for my birthday coming up in February. I also wanted to try it as a base for a strawberry cake for my daughters’s birthday. Do you think I could replace the applesauce with a reduced strawberry purée? I’ve made a vegan strawberry cake that wasn’t gluten-free with the purée before. It tasted good, but it was oily, flat, and dense.
Hi Marcy, another reader mentioned swapping out all of the liquid with strawberry purée with success. Let us know if you try it!
nuri nusrat says
Hi! The taste of this cake was phenomenal and I love your recipes. But it had such a strange texture-like it felt like there was too much potato flour that made it not moist like a cake but felt kind of stiff. I want to say it was more breadlike but that’s not quite the word-it was just off texturally- starchy rather than cakey. Should I reduce the starch?
Hi Nuri, did you use potato flour or potato starch? They are quite different in terms of texture. For this recipe, we recommend potato starch which yields a light and fluffy texture.
Sophia says
For all those in the comments wondering if you can substitute with almond meal, you certainly can! I have made this recipe before with almond flour and it was delicious but I didn’t have any in my pantry this time and needed it for a birthday cake. I took the risk and just ground up raw almonds in my blender and the cake came out fluffy and I would say even more moist compared to with the almond flour. My husband also preferred this version (he’s very picky when it comes to healthy deserts haha). We made it with whipped coconut frosting with maple syrup and layered with strawberries. I also only used about 3/4 cup of sugar in the cake only because I didn’t want it too sweet. Yum yum yum all around! Love this recipe!!
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Sophia!
Ann says
Can I put your cake batter to bake in a bundt pan?
I truly love your recipes! Thank you!
Hi Ann, we think it would work, though we haven’t tried it and aren’t certain! Let us know if you give it a try!
Raman Brar says
Your recipe is perfect.
Thank you 😊💓☺💗💛💖😊💓☺
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Raman. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Chloe says
I made this cake and loved it! Didn’t think a tasty gf/vegan cake would be possible, but this proved me very wrong. I had to make some significant changes to the flour content because I didn’t have enough in my pantry — ended up being 2.5 cups almond meal, 1.25 cups self raising gluten free AP flour, and 1 cup cornstarch. Everything else was exactly the same as the recipe as written. I was very skeptical, but it turned out great! For being both vegan and gluten free, it has a great crumb and flavor. It tastes even better the next day, as more of the almond flavor develops. Would certainly recommend!
Yay! We’re so glad it came out well! Thanks so much for sharing, Chloe.
Lindsey says
Help! My birthday’s tomorrow (sweet 16th!) and I bought 4 6-inch pans just for the occasion. They’re all 1 inch tall, however, about half the size of what I think normal pans are. What should I do! How much do I fill them? Should I make the full batch, fill some of them (3 or 4?), and then after they bake put the rest in? Should I half the batch and then do the same again? Any and all assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so mich for all your incredible recipes :)
Hi Lindsey, first, happy birthday!! We’d suggest filling them about 3/4 full. If there’s any extra batter you can bake it for a shorter amount of time in cupcake tins. Hope that helps!
Riley Zuckerman says
Could I use oat flour instead of almond flour to make this nut free?
Hi Riley, The almond flour is pretty key, but if you were going to try something we’d say a blend of coconut flour and arrowroot starch (or cassava flour) would be your best bet. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Angela says
Hi! Can I substitute the potato starch for just more corn starch?
Hi Angela, we don’t think it would work, but we haven’t tried! The potato starch is somewhat of a staple ingredient. But other readers have had success with a mix of arrowroot + coconut flour in place of the potato starch in our similar chocolate cake recipe. Hope that helps!
Woan says
Do you think I could make a rainbow cake with this recipe by adding food colouring to the batter?
We’ve never tried that, but we don’t see why not. Let us know if you try it!
Jane Jackson says
can i use tapioca flour instead of cornflour? I cannot find gluten free cornflour.
Hi Jane, we haven’t tried it, but a couple other readers have and mentioned it contributed to a gooey texture. Arrowroot would be the best alternative.
Eryn March says
I made this cake for the first time this week, it turned out pretty well! The flavor is delicious and it is moist and tender. Unfortunately, it is not fluffy. Not dense, but definitely not fluffy. I did everything as written except the cornstarch, which I subbed with arrowroot as suggested. I don’t think this is a big deal but I used soy milk instead of almond milk, I never really have issues with that so I doubt that’s the problem.
I baked 25 minutes — my tester came out clean — but I could see as it was baking that the centers shrunk instead of fluffing up and staying flat like the ones in your video. I baked in two 8″ pans, greased and lightly floured.
Even though the layers were concave I frosted after cooling and it looked nice enough. But when I cut a slice I could see a dense line that looked a bit underdone at the bottom of each layer. But it wasn’t raw, just settled, I guess.
So to me, it appeared to be a problem with the rise. I put the layers straight into the oven after mixing so I don’t think it was a delay in baking once the baking powder and soda were activated.
What do you think? More starch? Different starch? A bit of xantham? A touch more of cider vinegar and/or baking powder? I hate deviating from a recipe then complaining it didn’t turn out but I can’t have cornstarch.
And again, it was delicious! I will definitely make it again but would like to figure out what happened appearance-wise if I can. I appreciate your suggestions, your recipes are amazing.
Hi Eryn, Thanks for sharing! We wonder if your baking powder was expired? But it does also sound like it may have needed to bake longer. Cornstarch does also provide structure, so that could be the issue. Hope that helps for next time!
Mandy Solomon says
So delicious! My first vegan, gluten-free cake and everyone loved it. Will be my new go-to vanilla cake recipe now that I can’t do dairy or gluten. Does not feel like you’re sacrificing an ounce of flavor.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mandy. Thanks for the lovely review!
Mary says
Do you think it would be ok to add sprinkles to the batter (funfetti style), or could that mess it up? Thanks!
I think that should work! Let us know how it goes!
jiyoung.piao says
thanks for your wonderful recipe. but i have a question. How much butter is 2 sticks? i really want to this frosting.
Hi, 1 stick = 1/2 cup or 112 g. So 2 sticks = 1 cup or 224 g. Hope that helps!
Bindie says
Can I use all purpose flour instead of potato starch? Thanks!
It would likely make the cake super dry. I’d use a lesser quantity if I were you as it’s more absorbent. Let us know if you try!
Pratibha says
Can we use oil instead of applesauce? If so, what quantity?
Hi Pratibha, we haven’t tried it that way, but would suggest using 1/3 cup oil. Let us know how it goes!
Raman Brar says
Awesome recipe, so simple and delicious 😋
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Raman!
Nikki Kaur says
👋🏽 Hey
I have made this twice over the past week as everyone that has tried this absolutely LOVED it. I used metrics and baked for 30 mins and it was perfect!
Thank you 😊
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Nikki. We are so glad everyone has enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
lauren says
Hi. thank you for the lovely recipe. may I ask if you yourself use metric or us customary when you make this cake? I prefer weighing/metric but when I look at the conversions, they seem off. Are these the conversions you use yourself? or is this just an automatic converter that may be slightly off? For example one liquid cup is converted to 230 ml and I have always known 240 ml to equal one liquid cup. Also the amount of almond flour is more. Also can you please recommend how to convert the oven temperature and time when using the convection setting in the oven? thank you.
Hi Lauren! Yes, metrics can be all over the place. We’ve begun measuring ourselves, but even that can produce discrepancies. So we generally consult google, our packaging, and our scale, and use the average of the three. We’ll give this one another look!
Lauren says
Thank you! Can I ask if this recipe was written in US customary? I’m trying to understand if I should use the us customary version of this recipe or the metric. Bc they don’t match up. Which do you use? Thank you
It was written in customary (not metric).
Samantha G. says
This cake came out a disaster. Even after baking it for four hours now the batter is really moist and raw on the inside. When making the batter, it was thick like chocolate chip cookie batter. I followed the instructions to at milk so the batter is thick and pourable. This worked because the batter was so thick is stuck to the spoon when scooping it up, but if the spoon was held upside the batter slowly slipped off and “poured.” From the outside the cake looked baked and had a nice golden-brown appearance. However, that was just a “crust layer” no part of the cake on the inside or bottom was cooked. I adjusted the oven to 275 degrees and baked the cake for about two more hours, but it was still moist on the inside. Then I turned the oven back up to 350 degrees and moved the cake to the bottom rack so it wasn’t browning so fast at top. However, after another hour the cake was still moist, as if we never baked it. Watered ingredients, wasted time. If I had seen the future I would have just left the batter as a “cookie batter,” when we used the exact amounts of ingredients needed, and would have just tried to make cookies. Adding milk to make the “cookie batter” “pourable” was a fail!
Hi Samantha, we’re so sorry to hear that was your experience! We’ll definitely take another look at the instructions and see if we can add clarity. Based on your description of the batter before adding milk, it sounds like something went wrong. Did it resemble the texture in the video? Did you make any modifications to the flours (such as using coconut flour)?
Bhavana Subramanian says
I have made this cake many times and loved it always. Yesterday I made it for a friend who does not eat corn. I substituted arrowroot powder for corn starch and the cake was a disaster! Just like what you are describing. Batter was too thick. Added additional liquid to make it pourable. The cake started to look good in the oven, rose well, additional 10 mins to brown, but was runny under the crust, it never baked after lots of additional time. I think arrowroot powder substitution does not work!
We ended up making a break pudding out of it. :-)
Oh no! We’re sorry to hear it didn’t turn out well this time, Bhavana. Other readers have mentioned arrowroot worked as a sub for cornstarch for them, but we’ll be sure to take another look. Thanks for letting us know!
Audrey says
I made this cak with a chocolate buttercream frosting (per my son’s request) and it is divine! I’ve only ever made a gluten free cake with cake mix and it has come out so-so. We really enjoyed this recipe and I like that it is not overly sweet. I feel it didn’t need the full 35 minutes (probably just my oven) so next time I make this I will check it at the 30 min mark. Thank you for your wonderful recipes. :)
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Audrey!
charlly says
Is there any substitutes for potato starch?
Potato starch can possibly be subbed for a blend of coconut flour and arrowroot, but we haven’t tried it! Let us know if you do!
Lee M says
This recipe sounds delicious. I have an almond allergy – can I sub for gluten-free flour?
You can try but we haven’t tested it that way. I might suggest a mixture of coconut flour and arrowroot? If you try a GF blend let us know!
Abby says
I tried subbing Gluten-free all purpose flour for the almond flour last year about this time. It was a disaster. Hard as a rock. Don’t do it! I think all of the other starches were what ruined it. Maybe if I had subbed all GF all purp flour for all of the starches since it already contains starch… but I’m not willing to try. The recipe is fabulous as written. Just one time I made it, it tasted a bit grainy like the almond flour wasn’t fine enough. That is why I made the sub. I have made it several times as written and it was really good. Lots of complements from non GF/vegan eaters. Also, the frosting made with Miyoko’s butter is the best!
So helpful! Thanks for sharing, Abby!
Laura says
This recipe is amazing! I was skeptical, but it really tastes like a traditional (gluten & dairy-full) baked good. I made this into a funfetti cake with sprinkles and used Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter and JOI organic almond milk. Ended up using more almond flour than the recipe called for as the batter was a bit runny. Turned out great!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Lauren says
👋 hi thanks for the wonderful recipe. I just have a couple of questions. Do you bake for 35-40 mins at 350 with the convection setting or without? If not, how should I adjust the time and temperature for convection setting? Also I prefer to weigh my ingredients, but when I click the metric option… it seems a little off. For example, I have always known one liquid measuring cup to equal 240 ml,
But the metric conversion here converts one cup to around 230 ml. Other things are off too. Like when I measure out my almond flour with cups (doing proper spoon and level method)… it weighs much less than the metric conversion here. Have you done this conversion yourself? Or is it just an automatic app. That may be off a little? Do you use US customary yourself or metric? Thank you so much.
For convection you can keep the temp the same, but reduce the time by about 1/3. It bakes much faster.
With the metrics / standard. We measure in standard and convert to metric. We will revisit to ensure accuracy!
Perla says
I baked this just today and it turned ridiculously yummy!!! I used the recipe for cupcakes and they are so fluffy and the taste is amazing!! I have tried vegan gluten-free cupcakes recipes in the past and I always ended up throwing them away ‘cause they get very sticky, but this recipe is the best I have tried and I will stick with it from now on!!! I love it, thank thank you so much!!! Also, I used coconut sugar instead of the caster sugar and still delicious!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Perla. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Elise says
Hi! Do you think it would be ok to add spiced rum to the frosting? I could see how alcohol might de-stabilize the frosting.
I’d like to make this cake for the holidays and add spiced apple compote between the layers with a spiced rum frosting.
I’d stick to extracts vs. liquids like rum. I think it may dilute the frosting too much? But if you try it let us know!
Acallin says
Hello! I’m making this recipe for my son’s first birthday on Friday. This will be my third attempt and I plan to do it in the morning with the plan for us to eat it that night, so it’s fresh. I will be doing it in a 4 inch pan, approximately how long will that need to bake for? For the icing-would miyokos be a good butter substitute? We really love the flavor. So sorry for all the questions, hoping third time is the charm! Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes! My baby is allergic to everything, I’m so grateful he’ll be able to have a smash cake!
1. Myokos is fine! It just melts a little easier than Earth Balance so be aware that the cake doesn’t do well in hot temperatures (not sure where you live).
2. A 4 inch pan will cook faster so I’d check it around the 20-minute mark, and then every 5 minutes thereafter for doneness. It should be golden grown on top and a toothpick should come out mostly clean with maybe only a few crumbs.
3. Let us know how it goes!
Raman Brar says
I used cup for cup gf flour as I didn’t have almond flour. It turned out great. Check at 30 min it might be cooked already. Your Oil free recipe is soo good. 💖
Thanks for sharing, Raman!
Mary Ellen says
This cake was really excellent – happy faces from all (gluten free and non-gluten free). I made the recipe as written first time, which was perfect (and easy) and I’m making again today. Thank you for this recipe, it’s good to be able to make ONE great dessert to share and satisfy everyone.
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks for the lovely review, Mary Ellen!
Liz says
Hi, I live in Australia and not familiar with your bands.
When you note Almond flour do you mean the white colour flour baking that’s like a powder or the Almond meal which has a grain feel to it. Similar to your cupcake recipe when you note Almond flour? Thanks 😊
Hi Liz, we recommend almond flour (made from blanched almonds), not almond meal (made from whole almonds including skin). Hope that helps!
James says
Hey, wondering if you have any thoughts on replacing corn starch with tapioca starch. Would like to avoid going to the store for, uh… reasons.
Hi James, we haven’t tried it, but a couple other readers have and mentioned it did not work. It contributed to a gooey texture inside.
Erika says
Hello Dana. I just made this cake exactly the same like the recipe except i changed the applesauce with mashed banana with the equal weight. My cake was done in 45 minutes. And it doesnt rise like your photo and kind of mushy. And i did exactly like the video shown. Do you know what went wrong? It actually smelled so good though.
The banana is more dense than apple sauce. Also, what brand of almond flour did you use, did you modify anything else, and were your leavening ingredients fresh?
Erika says
So, if I am going to use banana again, i should use less? Maybe half? My almond flour has no brand as im in Indonesia. Hello from Indonesia ❤️. My leavening ingredients were fresh. Please do give me suggestions, because i really would like to nail this cake.
Hi! I’m not sure – it may be that banana is too dense and won’t allow it to rise?
Deepa V says
Hi,
I made this for my daughter’s birthday and it was a huge hit. Loved this cake so much. I made a small variation though, I saw in one of the comments about adding lemon zest to the batter and frosting so tried that. As for the cake texture , it was really good compared to the other gluten free cakes I have tried over the years. This one is a keeper. Thank you so much! I’m going to try the Chocolate cake for my birthday next. :)
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Deepa. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Deepa V says
I did leave a 5 start rating with my review. Don’t know happened. Anyways let me try again.
M says
I made this for my nephew’s first birthday; he had a laundry list of food allergies that contains everything that goes in regular cake except for the sugar. I subbed arrowroot starch for corn starch and used a mix of baking soda + cream of tartar in place of baking powder. I made it twice, once with almond milk and once with coconut milk. The combination of almond flour and almond milk yielded an end product that was too almond-y for my taste, so I would recommend the coconut. The texture was a bit gummy and more resemblant of cornbread than cake, but I expected this going in. The only issue I had with the recipe was that the outside cooked very nicely but the inside sank and remained gummy and undercooked even when left in the oven long enough that the outer edges would burn if cooked longer. I did increase the amount of almond flour in the recipe, but I would decrease the amount of liquid ingredients if making it again. Overall, this is a pretty solid recipe and made it possible for a one year old to have cake for the first time
We’re so glad he was able to enjoy cake! We think the texture differences were likely from the arrowroot and baking powder subs.
Andrea says
I’m the biggest MB fan so, naturally, a good friend of mine made this for my birthday!! It was a hit!! Such an awesome recipe, thank you so much Dana! You never disappoint!
Aw, yay! Thanks so much for your kind words, Andrea! Happy (belated) birthday!
Jessie Losch says
Hi Minimalist Bakers!
My lovely friends are getting married and their food combos are: dairy and gluten free (got this, check, no problem) refined sugar free (okay, you’re giving me a great option with the maple syrup, still good) and…nut free. Help!!! Can I swap out the almond flour for rice flour?
Thanks for any advice!
Jessie
Hi Jessie, we aren’t sure that swap would work. The almond flour is pretty key, but if you were going to try something we’d say a blend of coconut and arrowroot (or cassava) would be your best bet. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Ashley says
Hello! I made the cake and didn’t quite let it sit long enough, but it was completely cooled. The first night it was delicious. We stuck it in the fridge overnight and the next day it was inedible…super super dry. Is this because of the fridge or does it just need to be eaten the same day?
Sorry to hear that, Ashley! Was it completely covered in the fridge? It is best when fresh, but shouldn’t dry out much.
Victoria says
Hi , I havent make this cake yet but Im planning to use this recipe to make cake for my mom on her upcoming birthday. However, the only cake pan that I have is the 9in cake pan . So if i use my cake pan , should I use just one for 2 cake pans for this recipe? Hope you’ll help me out :( Thanks!
Hi Victoria, we’d suggest two 9-inch pans (or a half batch in 1 pan).
Phoebe says
Hi, so I made the cake! This was actually my first time baking a cake from scratch without help:)) and I couldn’t have had more luck! My cake batter was perfect, and it tasted amazing. And when the cake came out, it was perfect! So evenly colored smooth. I tested with the toothpick and came out clean at 45 minutes. BUT, something went wrong:(( I was planning on leveling the cake tomorrow since you said we should wait six hours or overnight, but I cut off part of the dome, and it was raw! I am so disappointed and I’ll probably have to scrap it. But do you have any idea what went wrong? The substitutions I used were rice milk instead of coconut and all purpose instead of almond.
Hi Phoebe, sorry to hear that! It’s likely from the all purpose flour swap. We’d suggest using almond flour next time for best results.
Phoebe says
Ok, thanks
Brittnee says
Hi! Love this recipe, it looks great. My birthday falls during the time where I’m on a Low-Fodmap Elimination diet and I don’t need the cake to be be vegan but I can’t have applesauce… Is this something I could sub with eggs?
Hi Brittnee, we aren’t sure egg would be the best sub here since the applesauce is used as an oil substitute, not egg substitute. But perhaps a neutral oil? Or pumpkin puree if that amount is tolerated. Hope that helps!
J says
What an incredibly satisfying cake. You hit it out of the park again!
Recently, I had already started the cake and went to the cabinet and found that the children ate the last of the applesauce! I subbed enough egg to get to 1/3 cup. It turned out really well.
Aw, thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo
Leslie MacKeen says
Love this cake! I find it tastes a bit like a vanilla/almond cake – which is lovely! The second time I made it I added the zest of one lemon to the batter and added lemon zest to the icing and it was a delicious lemon cake!
Love the additions and we’re so glad you enjoy it, Leslie! Thanks so much for sharing! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Lydia says
Hi there,
For some reason I’m really struggling to find potato starch in Melbourne Australia at the moment, could I substitute with a gluten free flour blend?
TIA 🙂
Hi Lydia, that might work. But the potato starch is somewhat of a staple ingredient in this recipe. Other readers have had success with a mix of arrowroot + coconut flour in place of the potato starch in our similar chocolate cake recipe. Hope that helps!
Natalia says
Incredible recipe!
I can’t believe its softness and fluffiness even when it’s made without eggs and almond flour!
Some modifications I made:
I add 1 1/2 tbsp of liquid stevia instead of sugar, and add 1 cup of grated carrot. It came out delicious. Thanks!
I love your website.
Aw, thanks Natalia! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! xo
Della says
I have made this cake many times and it is amazing! I don’t like gluten free flour so I love how this uses almond flour. Wondering if I could add some cocoa powder to make it chocolate flavor? What would I need to take out? Thanks
Hi Della, we’d suggest this recipe for a chocolate version!
b says
I need a cake tonight! Only requirement is to be GF. Can I use whole milk and oil instead of applesauce and dairy free beverage? Thank you
Hi, we haven’t tried those subs, but they might work. Let us know if you tried it!
Annabel says
This looks so good!!! Can I add buttermilk instead of coconut milk/vinegar? I need to make an eggless GF cake (dairy is fine). Thanks!
That should work! Let us know how it goes, Annabel.
Helen Rodriguez says
Hello! If i want a more stable cake, should i add coconut oil in addition to the apple sauce?
It’s already quite stable!
Sparrow says