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 ⅔ cup dairy-free milk (we used boxed coconut milk // almond or rice would also work)
- 1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 3 ¼ 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 ⅓ cup organic cane sugar*
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ 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 ½-4 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.
Mrs Jones says
Can I substitute with brown rice flour vs almond?
We haven’t tried that and aren’t sure whether it would work. Let us know if you give it a try!
Chrissy says
This turned out really delicious~
Subbed half of the recipe reqs for cane sugar with coconut sugar and turned out good. I think mine was a little overcooked so next time I’ll check it at 30 mins (cooked it for 35 mins). Made the 9×12 cake as a snack for my kids. They named it almond cake since my oldest said there’s not much vanilla taste, but rather he could taste the almonds (I used almond milk). Overall a great recipe and I will make this one again and again for sure. Didn’t make the frosting either. Just ate it plain as a breakfast bite and after school snack. Maybe next time I’ll adventure with the maple syrup and remove the cane sugar altogether.
Mennat says
I just made this in a 9-inch pan. Living in the UK means slightly different ingredients but I did everything I could to follow the recipe to the letter. The cake tasted beautiful but it was very dense and claggy, despite baking it for an extra 20 mins. I need to make a variety of sizes for a baby shower cake for my friend. Does anyone have an idea as to how long it should bake for? Also is American applesauce a puree or does it have apple pieces in it? Thanks!
Hi Mennat, it sounds like maybe it needed to bake even longer. What ingredient modifications did you make? That could also contribute. American applesauce is typically a purée. Hope that helps!
Isabelle says
Hi was wondering would the cake recipe work if I bake in a sheet pan and not a round?
Yes, that should work! To see what other readers have done, you can press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac and a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words (such as “sheet pan”) in the post and comments.
Jamie says
So excited to try this! Will it work with 4” pans?
Yes!
AK says
Hey,
almond flour is crazy expensive around here. Can I just use normal GF flour mix or will it be very different?
Thanks!
I think it will be quite different. But if you give it a try let us know! You could also try subbing cashew flour (finely ground cashews) if that’s more accessible.
Sarah says
Do you know if I could substitute oat flour for the almond flour? I’m trying to make a nut free, gluten-free, vegan cake for a birthday party. Thank you!
Hmm, I don’t think so. I think it will make it gummy and heavy. Let us know if you try though1
Mindy Coykendall says
I wanted to cry eating this cake! It tastes like an actual cake! My daughter has many, many allergies and she is so brave in a world where eating and socializing go hand in hand. For special occasions we usually have fruit but this year I was asked to bring a cake for Christmas Eve. I come from a family of bakers, baking at downtown markets, catering, wedding cake designers etc. so to have people say that it tastes like a “normal” cake was a huge accomplishment. Thank u for this recipe, it allows her to feel a little less different and I get to say yes! We did switch the organic cane sugar for coconut sugar as she can have that. Thank you again.
So kind! Thanks, Mindy! So glad you daughter enjoyed it!
Vanessa says
I make it with the coconut sugar too. It always turns out so perfect! Grateful for this recipe! I’ve made it at least a dozen times! I always love a good excuse to make this gem! Thanks for your hard work and dedication! #govegan
Cheryl says
I am so anxious to try this recipe. Can it be modified for cupcakes? If so, any suggestions. I know i won’t be able to eat an entire cake.
Other readers have done so with success! If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words in the post and comments.
Leah Sachiko says
Made no modifications and the cake was a beautiful, delicious showstopper. My daughter has class V allergies to wheat, dairy, and egg whites, so I’ve come to consider your recipes to be lifesavers. I made this for her 2nd birthday last week. I made 1.5 recipes, and made a 3-layer 9-inch round cake. After each layer was cool I wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and fridged them until the next night. They held up perfectly and I would actually recommend chilling them overnight because it helped them be less fragile. Everyone at the party loved it and couldn’t believe what was NOT in it! We’ve been eating the leftovers (for breakfast!) all weekend and it isn’t dried out or soggy, it’s still delicious. Will make again and again, but I also might experiment with a chocolate version.
xoxo!
Vanessa says
I use a 3 ingredient chocolate sweet potato frosting on this cake to make it a little healthier and it is so delicious! I don’t go with the recipe frosting because we try and stay away from processed foods and it’s just too much sugar and butter. The sweet potato frosting works great. Sweet potatoes, chocolate chips and either syrup or honey. You can find the recipe by googling it. This cake is amazing! I also sub out the cane sugar for coconut sugar!
G says
Hi, I’ve tried this cake and I’ve got to say it tasted good. My only problem was whilst the outside of the cake was very much light and fluffy like a cake should be, the middle was quite dense/almost raw and claggy? Also it sank in the middle!
Any attempts to prevent this next time?
Hi There, it sounds like it wasn’t quite baked enough! Next time, make sure to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Hope that helps for next time!
G says
Thanks, I cooked it for longer a second time around and added less liquid and it came out much better!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing!
Paula S Digby says
I had the same issue. How much leads liquid?
Sarah says
Hi! If we wanted to just use regular flour, what would we omit and how much flour would w replace it with?
Hi Sarah, 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!
Mayen says
Hi! Awesome recipe! But is there anyway I could sub the almond flour for all purpose gluten free flour? If I used that would I still need potato starch? And use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch? I have lots of food allergies! Thanks for any advice!
Hi Mayen, we haven’t tried it that way and aren’t sure whether it would work. We would recommend searching the comments to see what others have tried. If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words in the post and comments.
Betsy says
I’m giving this one star because the texture was not cake like at all. If this was a cornbread recipe it would have been 5 star. It was very expensive and time consuming to make a birthday cake that had the texture of cornbread. I have made almond flour cakes before with great success. I really wanted this vegan version to work
Hi Betsy, we’re sorry to hear that was your experience! This is denser than your classic vanilla gluten cake. Which brand of almond flour did you use? We love Wellbee’s and have found other brands to be more difficult to work with. Our other suggestion would be baking in three 6-inch pans as it creates more height, requires slightly less bake time, and makes them slightly fluffier.
Tab says
Hi There! I’ve made this cake before with great success but wanted to see if you have tried any adjustments to create a red velvet base? Hoping to make one for Christmas ? thank you
Hmm, I’m not sure about that! I’d probably recommend adding cocoa powder and a roasted beet?
Alyssa says
I can’t figure out why the inside of my cake is gummy but the outside is perfect?
Hi Alyssa, it sounds like it may have needed more baking time or your baking powder was old. Did you insert a toothpick to see if it was done? Better luck next time!
Leah says
could I use anything other than potato starch? I don’t have any at home but I have tapioca and GF flour blend….
Hi Leah, Hmm, it’s somewhat of a staple ingredient in this recipe and we aren’t sure how it will turn out without it. But if you must use something else, perhaps try arrowroot and/or GF flour blend. Let us know how it goes!
Jennifer Kuhl says
I couldn’t find potato starch at my grocery store so used arrowroot instead and it worked well as far as I could tell!
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!
Lynda Olson says
This was my first crack at a vegan gluten-free cake. It was delicious! But it wasn’t quite right and I’m not sure how to fix it. I used all the listed ingredients with one minor change: I used cold almond milk (not boxed — Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk). I also used two 8-inch cake pans. I think I slightly under-baked it because, although the toothpick came out completely clean, the cakes “deflated” a little in the middle after coming out of the oven. When removing them from the pans, I noticed the cakes felt heavy, dense. And when I ran my finger across the empty pan to taste the cake “film”, one pan seemed a tad wet. After frosting and eating the cake, I was right — it was very dense & heavy. The texture was more like cornbread than cake, only much denser. Do you think I just needed to bake it longer? I was afraid to leave it longer cuz they were very golden brown when I removed them from the oven. Any other suggestions? BTW, for the frosting, I used 2 Earth Balance vegan buttery stix, about 12 strawberries — coarsely pureed, and 2 lb. powdered sugar! I could have halved the ingredients and ended up with just the right amount of delicious vegan strawberry buttercream frosting.
The frosting sounds amazing! As for the cake, this is denser than your classic vanilla gluten cake. Which brand of almond flour did you use? We love Wellbee’s and have found other brands to be more difficult to work with. My other suggestion would be baking in three 6-inch pans as it creates more height, requires slightly less bake time, and makes them slightly fluffier in my experience. Hope that helps, Lynda!
T. Knortz says
It’s me again!! This recipe is phenomenal! Make it….you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for sharing!
T. Knortz says
Oh my goodness……this was absolutely delicious. I love it. I haven’t eaten cake in 20 years because of gluten and dairy allergies. I have tried to make the boxed versions but they turn out dense and like gummy glue that is just disgusting. This was light, fluffy and simply beyond delicious. I made it just like the recipe except I replaced the apple cider vinegar with lemon juice, I
replaced cornstarch with arrowroot starch
and I replaced cane sugar with 6 stevia packets
The ONLY bad thing is that I am the only one eating it and can’t stop dipping my fork in for more……..Please higher power, give me strength :). Thank you minimalist baker. I can now have my cake, eat it and enjoy it!!! This was truly amazing. I am a happy baker today.
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications. 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
A says
Hello,
I have now tried to make this recipe for the second time.
The only thing I can think of for why it didn’t turn out is because of the type of almond-flour I have (purchased in Canada). I don’t know the brand because I re packaged it in a glass mason jar and threw out the original bag long ago. It turned out extremely hard and overly dry- brick like and not edible.
I had to use WAY more almond milk than the recipe calls for (over triple the amount for sure)….
So I was perplexed as to what was wrong. Could it be the type of almond Flour? What else could cause this? Thank you!
So interesting. Did you make any other modifications? I’d be so curious which almond flour you used b/c Wellbee’s is definitely our favorite and others tend to give varied results. Let us know! We’d love to help troubleshoot.
Maren says
I made this for my daughter’s birthday and it was wonderful. I used arrowroot instead of cornstarch with no noticeable change. For the frosting I blended together avocado, cocoa powder and agave. This cake was sturdy enough to be stacked five layers high yet moist and yummy. This recipe is a keeper!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Maren. 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
Cheryl says
What is the baking time for the three 6 inch pans? Still the 35-40 minutes?
That’s what I did! Yes, 35-40 minutes should be perfect. Do a visual check around the 30 minute mark to ensure it’s not cooking too quickly.
Anika says
SUCH AN INCREDIBLE RECIPE!
Not too sweet, the almond flour flavour is very light and works so well with the vanilla. I recommend this recipe. 10/10.
I made a few substitutions
Brown sugar for cane sugar and melted coconut oil instead of applesauce – turned out great
Thanks for sharing, Anika!!
Aaesha says
Hands down the BEST cake in the world! My family who is neither gluten free nor vegan is now in love with this. Thank you for the perfect recipe.
Whoop! We are so glad to hear that, Aaesha! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Skiriki says
This is a comedy of horrors in baking, but with a happy ending, no thanks to MY own messing up with things; I will credit this recipe for being resilient to incompetent tooling around.
After my initial failure with a different vegan-gluten free cake (which is still going to be used, just as decorative crumbs because YIKES, coconut flour, what did you doooooo), I googled and found this recipe. I was desperate, and made a dash to corner store to loot some ingredients, thinking “oh yeah, I got potato and maize starch at home, no probs, I’m in a super hurry now”, grabbed more almond flour after wondering if I REALLY needed more… and uh.
“Hey darling Significant Otter, where’s our baking soda?” I asked once back home and going thru the cupboard, recalling the Great Baking Soda discussion we had couple of weeks ago. “We don’t have it.” Whaaaattttt. Facepalm, me on verge of tears again. “But I’m also going to store now.” “Please bring some so I can catch up with my schedule for this party-to-come.”
So I get my baking soda.
Wait, this bag of almond flour I bought… it is 300 grams. I need more. OK, I got… SOME more in my home stash. About 40 gram more. [insert swearing]
OK, OK, I’ll just compensate with other flours and starches, right? Potato flour, ah there’s my packet of it… WAIT, I got HOW MUCH left!? WHERE DID IT GO!? At least my bag of maize starch was full. This is about 80 gram more maize than the recipe originally suggested to put in.
I can’t use apples (IBS), and even bananas are a bit touch and go, but I used pureed bananas anyway. Sugar! Welp, I could make things more interesting with a bit of muscovada sugar? Except it absolutely refused to cooperate. There are chunks in it. I can’t make those chunks much smaller. They’re going to be little surprise nuggets of pure dark delight in that cake.
I tucked the cake into the oven and marched to sulk in front of my computers, expecting a catastrophic failure #2 to manifest in 35 minutes, thanks to my own level of tiredness and general incompetence with all things gluten-free and vegan (but I can bake non-vegan and gluten-y cakes just fine).
BUT! What I pulled out of the oven was beautiful, about 2 inches risen cake (yay! I can easily halve it and fill with yums!) which also tasted incredibly great based on crumb samples.
Thank you for saving my butt and butts of people who are coming to celebrate our local sci-fi club’s 30th birthday and who need their yums in vegan or gluten-free variety!
Changes: Pureed banana, extra maize starch to substitute for about 80 grams in total of potato starch and almond flour, toasted almond milk used as non-dairy variety.
The cake will be filled with dark chocolate pudding (gluten-free, vegan) and mix of banana puree-raspberry jam, and decorated with vegan buttercream frosting and topped with fresh raspberries and blackberries, some decorative food colors and edible sparkles.
Hi Skiriki, we’re so glad to hear it turned out well despite all the obstacles! Great job!!
Jennifer says
My son is allergic to almonds. Is there another flour I can use instead? He’s allergic to corn, soy, dairy, eggs, peanuts, oats.
Hmm, that’s tough! This cake is almost entirely based with almonds. Maybe try this recipe instead but with gluten-free flour. OR, if he can have gluten you could use all purpose as suggested.
M says
Hello! I am making this for a friend with celiac disease, and he is sensitive to corn as well. Can I replace the cornstarch with arrowroot?
That should work, but we haven’t tried it! If you do, let us know how it goes!
Alex says
Hello. Can I add cacao powder to make it a chocolate cake or will it have any adverse effect on the final cake?
Hmm, we haven’t tried that, but it might work! You may need to reduce the amount of flour though. Or perhaps try this recipe instead: https://minimalistbaker.com/gluten-free-birthday-cake-vegan/
Lucy says
I have tried several gluten-free and vegan cake recipes but this one is a Keeper!!!! I made this for my grand daughter’s birthday and it was all gone before anyone could get a second piece. My family has been gluten-free and now they want to go vegan and this cake was the best I have ever had!!! I don’t want to change anything and will be using this recipe all the time!!!! Thank you!
Wonderful – thanks for sharing, Lucy!
Sheila Fly says
Hello :- )
I’LL get to the point ;–) I’m on a plant based diet, and also sugar free (things that are naturally sweet are fine). No gluten, dairy, caffeine, or anything like that. But I LOVE cake. Is there a substitute fr the brown sugar/cane sugar in your recipe? Such as apple sauce which is something I’ve seen online. Let me know!
Hi Sheila, The sugar helps with the texture, but if you can have natural sweeteners, maybe try subbing a mix of maple syrup and coconut sugar. Though we haven’t tested it this way. Let us know if you try it!
ps says
I bought date sugar to use in cookies for my Dad (borderline diabetic – it’s not supposed to cause insulin spike) so maybe try that? Research the ratios because it’s made from dried ground dates so you might need a little less in the recipe. Yes it will impart the flavor, but it’s delicious!
Michelle says
This has a great consistency and taste! I am making a 3 tiered wedding cake and am happy with how it has baked off. Thank you!
Rob says
Hi,
Can I swap out the almond flour and the potato starch for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free all purpose flour blend?
Thanks for your help!
No, I don’t think that will work. But if you try it let us know how it goes!
Dlolly Lopez says
hey did this work, im wanting to do the same thing?
Deborah Saley says
Can this be frozen
Yes!
Heather says
I made this cake today, exactly as written. I was impressed with how good it tastes! I’m pretty new to gluten free baking and until now all the recipes I’ve tried failed to impress. But thanks to you, I now have a great go-to recipe for when my sweet tooth demands cake! I had a feeling that Minimalist Baker wouldn’t let me down! ?
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Heather! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Jaimee Fogerty says
This cake is DELICIOUS!!! I’ve made it a few times now- so moist and turned out perfect both times.
Thanks for sharing, Jaimee!
Yalanda says
What size cake pans do I need to purchase for this recipe?
I recommend three 6-inch pans.
H says
My brother is allergic to nuts. Can I replace almond flour with white rice flour?
Hi, Subbing the almond flour is difficult, but what about another seed meal, such as sunflower or hemp?
Samantha says
Can the almond flour be replaced with coconut flour?
We wouldn’t recommend it. They behave differently and coconut flour is much more absorbent.
Rosie Burdon says
I would love to make this for my baby’s first birthday but am wanting to substitute the cane sugar. Is their a no refined sugar alternative I could use? Many thanks in advance.
Our best suggestion would be using stevia to taste OR subbing half the sugar with maple syrup and the rest with stevia or monkfruit to taste. If you end up experimenting, let us know how it goes! We would recommend testing with a small batch first before committing so you don’t waste ingredients :D
Marisa says
Hi! My friend that will be baking this for is refined sugar free meaning she cannot have cane sugar but she can have honey. Will honey change the texture of the cake?
Hi Marisa, we haven’t tried this recipe with honey and aren’t sure how it would work. For another refined sugar free option, we might recommend subbing a mix of maple syrup and coconut sugar, but we haven’t tested it this way and can’t guarantee results.
Jennifer says
I am gluten, dairy, and soy free (not fully vegan). Is it possible to replace the applesauce with eggs? If so how many?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hi Jennifer, we haven’t tried this recipe with eggs and aren’t sure how it would turn out! Let us know if you give it a try! Otherwise, another idea would be to try subbing the same amount of banana or another mashed fruit puree?
Katie says
I’m currently dealing with several good intolerances (ugh). Do you think I could use a pineapple purée? Both apple and banana are no-gos. Thanks!
Hmm, it’s worth a shot! Let us know if you give that a try!
Nicole says
Thanks for this. I use your gf recipes all the time (I’m gluten sensitive), and now it’s time for my daughter’s first birthday cake, and it’s becoming evident that she’s intolerant to egg. Looking forward to making this and to more gf and—now egg-free—baking!
Lovely! Let us know how it goes!
Debra Julin says
Made the cake as is. I just added some lemon zest to the batter. Best gluten and dairy free cake I’ve had. I also feel good that we are using almond flour so there is some nutritional value to it as well. I’m going to make it again today but I’m gonna change out the flavors and I’m going to use the coconut frosting. I’ll let you know how it goes.
So glad you enjoy this recipe, Debra! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Elisabeth Santy says
I want to make this cake for me nephew’s birthday. He’s allergic to apple, so can I subsitute it for banana please?
Hi Elizabeth, we haven’t tried it, but think it will work! It may have a slight banana taste though. Let us know if you give it a try!
Alex says
Has anyone made this with arrowroot starch instead of corn starch !? If so, how did it turn out in terms of consistency … is it still fluffy ?
Thanks !
We would recommend doing a search for “arrowroot” in the comments section to see other readers feedback. Most mentioned they had success! Let us know if you give it a try!
Lindsey says
Yes, I always sub arrowroot and it comes out perfect.
xxLindsey
Mar says
Hi! I have a question, what is the egg substitute in the recipe? Trying to learn!
The applesauce!
Julia says
Hi! I’m making this for a birthday party on Saturday. I can’t find almond flour anywhere – could I substitute white flour for it? Thank you!
Hmm, I don’t think that would be the recipe to try subbing gluten flour for. Perhaps try this instead? You can leave out the sprinkles.
Jane says
Could you recommend a gluten free replacement for potato starch? Thanks!
Hmm, it’s somewhat of a staple ingredient in this recipe. Is there some reason you can’t consume it? I don’t have another recommendation at this time…
Michelle says
My cake was flat. I used tapioca starch instead of potato starch — otherwise everything the same. Could the tapioca starch have affected that?
Hmm, we’ve never tried this with tapioca starch. Perhaps that could’ve been it?
Patty says
Hi! This cake is delicious! Thank you! I am hosting mystery dinner party next week. I plan to have a Caribbean menu. However, I will be adding this cake to the menu :) Any icing and filling recommendations to switch it up a bit to coordinate with the party? It’s summer and hot of course. I usually make this cake with your traditional buttercream icing which we love!
I haven’t tried your coconut whipped cream icing yet.
p.s. I’m looking to purchase new cake pans. Do you have any brands you recommend?
Thank you!!
Patty ?
Hmm, you could add coconut flake and pineapple on top?
Patty says
Which of your icings do you recommend with the pineapple topping you recommended? Thanks!
Probably the buttercream!
Gretha says
Hi there.
This cake looks amazing! Could I substitute tapioca starch for the potato starch?
Gretha
Hi Gretha, potato starch is somewhat of a staple ingredient here for best texture. But if you must sub it, we’d suggest a mix of tapioca or arrowroot and a GF flour blend. Let us know how it goes!
Spring Haughton says
Thanks for your recipes. This one had gotten such great reviews that I’m wondering if it would make a good bundt cake? And if so, what adjustments need to be made. I looked through the comments and no one seemed to try this. (I’m on a bit of a bundt cake roll right now)
Hi Spring, we think it would work, though we haven’t tried it and aren’t certain! Let us know if you give it a try!
Mirza Pagola Martin says
Hello!! i want to try your recipe BUT i need to make it a “champagne cake”. I was thinking on reducing champagne and substituting some of the milk for the reduction….what do you think? Will it work?
Ooh, that sounds fun! I don’t know how it will react with the other ingredients but it’s certainly possible. And I think the way you’re going about it is exactly how I’d do it. You could also see if there’s a “champagne extract” – ha! Seems like a long shot, but potentially an option. Let us know how it goes!
Holly Watson says
Amoretti makes an excellent Champaign extract, it’s my favorite flavor for cakes. I can’t recommend it enough
Holly Watson says
Apparently I can’t spell either ?. Champagne
Amy says
This cake was unbelievable!! Thank you so much for the recipe. Everyone loved it!! I made a half batch to make a dozen cupcakes topped with coconut whipped cream and berries for kids. And a normal batch for a two layer cake with vegan buttercream frosting, dyed purple with purple carrot juice and edible flowers. The only swaps I made were to use coconut sugar for the cake and added lemon zest and juice for a lemon flavor. Everyone raved and demanded the recipe, especially finding out later it was vegan and gluten-free. THANK YOU!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Amy! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Cristina says
This recipe came out great! I even added sprinkles to make a funfetti cake. I want to try it again as a rum cake. Do you think I’d be able to sub the milk for some rum?
Thanks for sharing, Cristina! I think the rum substitution should work! Let us know if you try it.
Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xoxo
Vix says
Hello,
We want to try this recipe — it looks so yummy! Can I sub vanilla powder for essence? If so, how do you suggest? I have run out of essence and only have powder (which seemed like a good buy at the time however I don’t know how to use it).
Thanks :)
Hi Vix, we would recommend a ratio of 1/2 tsp vanilla powder to replace 1 tsp vanilla extract. Hope that helps! Let us know if you give it a try!
Vix says
Thankyou!!! I’m just starting to bake now. x
Isaac says
I am clear that this recipe is gluten free and vegan. Can you verify for me if it contains soy? I am making this for a client and do not want any mistakes. Thank you!
Correct – it should not contain soy unless your dairy-free milk contained soy as an additive.
Maya says
Hi, I am planning on making this cake for my mom for her birthday. We are sugar free so I was wondering if I could sub something for the powdered sugar in the buttercream frosting. I have granulated monk fruit sugar that can be used just like regular granulated sugar so I don’t need a substitute for that. Thanks!!
Hi Maya, we haven’t tried this recipe with any sugar substitutes and aren’t sure how they would turn out. We would recommend checking the other comments as some readers have experimented. Someone reported success with an erythritol/stevia blend. If you do some experimenting, we would love to hear how it goes!
Marie says
You can make powdered sugar by grinding coconut sugar in a coffee bean grinder into a finer powder and mixing it with arrowroot powder.
Andy Moncayo says
I attempted to make this delicious looking cake for my birthday though made a different buttercream than the recipe called for. When I took the cake out of the oven I noticed that it hadn’t risen as much as I would have thought. As the cakes cooled and I began to assemble them they looked very compact and dense, almost like an uncooked cookie. I followed the instructions to the dot. Is there something that I missed?? Please help.
Hmm, what size pans did you use and did the cakes get cooked through all the way? In the photos I believe we used 3 6-inch pans to give it more height as this cake naturally won’t rise as high without eggs / gluten. I’m also wondering if your leavening ingredients were fresh? Please let us know! We’d love to help troubleshoot.
Aimee Maiure says
I’ve made this twice already! It’s amazing ? I made it as a sheet cake once with the coco whip. Sooo this time I’m making it as a layered cake but wanted to do 4 layers with 2 layers being a strawberry cake! Can I sub blended strawberries for the milk?
Smart idea! I’m not sure how that will go but I think it should work? Let us now if you try it!
Aimee Maiure says
Well I tried subbing strawberry purée for the milk and it worked, however the taste was of strawberry was super faint. I also had to bake it longer and it didn’t have a pink color just a darker brown. Probably could use some tweaking but I pulled it off! I used your butter cream frosting recipe and added strawberry purée to give color and strawberry taste which worked out perfect. I also only did 3 layers at 8” and saved 1 strawberry layer for taste testing lol! I wish I could post a pic, it came out really cute for my daughters bday cake:) Love your recipes, thank you!
How great! Thanks for sharing your experience Aimee! We’ll add testing a strawberry version to our list!
Tracie Bolante says
I cannot find Potato Starch anywhere near me and I have to bake this for this weekend so I don’t have time to wait on Amazon to bring me any. What can I use instead of the Potato Starch? Anything?
Hi Tracie, perhaps a blend of arrowroot and/or a GF blend would work? Let us know if you give it a try!
Michelle Bangson says
Ok…. This cake is the one! I have vegans and gf folks in my DnD group, so always turn to Dana when I wanna bring something special!!
I wanted a “Queen Victoria sponge” look with tropical flavors, so I substituted half of the vanilla with coconut extract before baking. To decorate the cake, I filled the cake with a thick layer of mango-peach preserves and an even thicker layer of So Delicious Cocowhip. I then dusted the top of the cake with powdered sugar. SO yummy and so cute. I definitely recommend serving it this way!
Also: I set the number of servings to 6 and prepared the batter, dividing it into two 6 inch cake pans. The result was a perfectly sized tiny cake with no leftovers.
Thanks for sharing!!
Virag says
Hi Dana, can the apple sauce be substituted with something? Like banana or flax egg? What would be the right portions? I’d like to make this cake for the yummy walnut frosting my husband asked for, for his birthday! Thanks so much
Hmm, we haven’t tried it, but I’m guessing you could sub the same amount of banana or another mashed fruit puree?
Virag says
Thanks. I’ve gone through the other comments and decided to go with oil. I used sunflower oil and it worked perfectly. My new favourite cake recipe!
Thanks for sharing!
Emily Amellin says
Can I use coconut oil instead of applesauce
We haven’t tried that. But if you do let us know how it goes!
Katy says
I wanted to try out this recipe using all purpose flour, since I didn’t have any gf substitutes on hand. I kept the corn starch in since I was hoping to get some nice crumb texture, and used the all purpose instead of the almond and potato. I halved the recipe and ended up with a great imbalance of wets to dry- the batter was more dough-like- so I went ahead and added an additional half of the wet ingredients and that ended up working out! I also did a puree blend of mangoes, bananas and pineapple and lemon juice instead of applesauce and that was very tasty. This recipe is truly one of a kind in the fact that you can play around and the ratios don’t seem to need to be absolutely perfect, like most vegan recipes. Very appreciated!
Jenna says
Hi Katy!
I’m looking to make this recipe with all purpose flour as well — do you mind posting the exact measurements that ended up working out?
Jenna
Eden says
This cake looks amazing and I am hoping to make it for my sisters birthday! Unfortunately she is allergic to all nuts and cannot have almond flour is there any other flour I could substitute for the almond flour? Any recommendations would help!
Hi Eden, Subbing the almond flour is difficult, but what about another seed meal, such as sunflower or hemp?
Cali says
So hemp would also work as a flour instead of the almond flour.
Hi Cali, we haven’t tested it, so can’t guarantee the result. Perhaps combined with sunflower seed meal, ground hemp seeds would be okay? Or can you have cashew flour? That would likely work well!
Joanne says
Made this recipe into 24 cupcakes, and the frosting recipe covers them beautifully, no left overs. They are delicious. After mixing the batter, I added a little almond flour a bit at a time until the consistency looked like thin cream of wheat. To the frosting, I added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. Very easy and all the ingredients I had on hand. I will make this recipe again very soon. ?
Thanks for sharing, Joanne! So glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Suee33 says
Why did you add almond flour to the batter, was it too runny? Also do you remember how long the cupcakes baked?
Kim Moore says
How long did you bake the cupcakes for?
Marissa says
Has anyone tried this with all purpose flour? If we used AP, would we omit the cornstarch and potato starch? Just omit potato starch? Thanks for any recommendations!
Hi Marissa, we are 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, we would say replace both with the all purpose. Let us know how if you give it a try!
Brittany says
I saw where you said we could try to substitute the cornstarch with arrowroot starch, but could I substitute the potato starch with arrowroot starch? Crazy as it is, I cannot find anyone that has potato starch in stock or that even carries it.
Hi Brittany, the potato starch is a pretty specific ingredient that helps the texture go a long way. But perhaps a blend of arrowroot and/or a GF blend would work? We would recommend getting potato starch (you should be able to get online!), if possible.
Brittany says
I am very happy to share that the arrowroot starch worked (thank goodness). I figured potato starch would be a very common thing, but not one store in my city carried it. I wouldn’t have been able to order it in the time that I needed it, so I just went with a prayer and arrowroot, haha. I added some coconut flour to it and it was a huge hit. It did come out a little more dense than fluffy, but really moist and kind of melted in your mouth. The crowd really loved it and I was asked to make it for another person’s birthday next month. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It really is a wonderful cake recipe, and bonus is it’s not complicated.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Brittany! We are so glad to hear it turned out for you! xo
anneliese says
Can anyone tell me if the cake is made as directed, does it need to be refrigerated? I need it for an event on Friday, but need to bake and frost on Wednesday due to travel. Thanks in advance.
Hi Anneliese, making in advance should work! We would recommend baking the cake, wrapping it in plastic wrap, and putting in the fridge. Then, the day of the event, frost and garnish it. Hope that helps!
anneliese says
Thank you so much!!
Jada says
Could I sub the vanilla for almond extract for an almond cake? Also I find it too sweet for my taste w/o buttercream. I will reduce sugar next time. But still a very very delicious cake.
Hi Jada, we haven’t tried that, but we think it should work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Julia says
This recipe is amazing! I just made it for my toddler who can’t eat gluten, dairy or eggs. I made cupcakes. They baked for 20 min and turned out great. We couldn’t believe how cake-like they were. So good!! Now I have a cake recipe for her birthday :))) I can’t thank you enough!
Thanks for sharing!!
Lindsey says
My friends keep begging me to make this cake again. I made it with a lavender infused vegan buttercream, and then put the berries on top and they freaked out. It was seriously delish.
That sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing, Lindsey!
Lindsey says
I made this cake again and added the lemon juice instead of cider vinegar, and zest of a lemon for a lemon infused cake. To the vegan buttercream I also added lemon juice and zest, and then when layering I put a layer of seedless raspberry preserve on top of the lemon buttercream. It was knock out good, and looked so pretty. I put fresh raspberries on top. This cake is so fun to play with and tailor to different tastes!
Lindsey says
Oh, and I added poppyseeds, so it was lemon poppyseed :P
Wow, Lindsey! That sounds absolutely incredible! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Bethany says
I’ve made this recipe before and it was an absolute success! It was so great finding this recipe with the alternative ingredients you used because I have many food allergies/intolerances. I wanted to make it into a sheet cake instead of a round cake the next time I bake the cake. What are your thoughts on baking the recipe in a different way?
Hi Bethany, we aren’t sure but think that would work! You will likely need to adjust the baking time. Let us know if you give it a try!
Catherine says
Will this work in cupcake form? Has anyone tried this?
Hi Catherine, we haven’t tried it, but other readers have had success making cupcakes with this recipe! They mentioned that the batter makes 24 cupcakes baked for about 15 minutes (not sure how full each was, sorry). Hope that helps!
Melissa says
HELP. I can’t find potato starch anywhere. Just went to 5 stores. Any substitutes??
Thanks!
M
Hi Melissa, the potato starch is a pretty specific ingredient that helps the texture go a long way. But perhaps a blend of arrowroot and/or a GF blend would work? We would recommend getting potato starch (you should be able to get online!), if possible.
Shelby says
This looks fantastic! I want to try for my daughters birthday since she has many allergies. Just one question. Can I use oil instead of applesauce? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with oil, but let us know how it goes!
Jen says
Hello! I recently made this cake for a friends daughter’s third birthday. It was a big hit! When she told me she needed a vegan and gluten-free cake, I was a bit discouraged. But I tried this recipe out at home and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was. She wanted a Funfetti cake so I added sprinkles to it and it was perfect. Now my sister needs a gluten-free vegan cake for her daughter and wants strawberry flavored cake with lemon frosting. I’m pretty sure I can pull off the lemon frosting, but I’m wondering if I could add reduced pureed strawberries instead of the applesauce and maybe strawberry essence instead of vanilla. Would that work? Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jen! Thanks for the lovely review! We think a strawberry puree would work well in place of the applesauce. We haven’t used strawberry essence so we can’t comment on that. Let us know how it goes!
Jen says
Hello! I just did a trial run on the strawberry cupcakes. I did 1/3 cup of reduced strawberry purée and 2 tsp strawberry extract. I am not getting a lot of strawberry flavor still. Do you think it would work if I reduced the dairy free milk and increased the purée as long as the liquid level stays the same as the original recipe? With the substitutions I made the texture is still spot on!
Thanks for sharing, Jen! That might work! Crossing our fingers! xo
Holly Watson says
I highly recommend using concentrates instead of fruit purée. Fruit purées can be difficult to work with and throw throw your ratios off without much flavor payout
Katelyn mclinden says
I have made this cake 3 times, I love it! BUT it sinks in the middle every time. I can still make a cake but it’s a pretty substantial sinkage. Any thoughts on why?
A little sinkage in the middle is normal. But you could try and make the batter a bit more dry (with flours) to help with this! Or, add more leavening ingredients.
Holly Watson says
Do you need to adjust for altitude? That’s what I have to do it all my cakes sink regardless of ingredients
AC says
The cake itself was moist and delicious and I will probably make it again adding lemon juice and peel for a version of lemon drizzle cake. It was very moist and held together well. I used the buttercream frosting which was too sweet for my tastes though my friends with a sweet tooth seemed to like it as it was. The recipe, though very expensive to make, is a keeper for me.
Patty says
Hi! I have the cakes in the oven right now. I’m not sure why but the batter was super runny. I added well over an additional cup of almond flour to try to thicken it up. It seems like so much more than what the recipe called for. Even if I eyeballed the wet measurements even a bit off which I’m not sure how since I was very careful I don’t think it would require that much extra almond flour. The batter thickness was thicker but not sure if it was right. Any idea why the batter would have been so soupy? Thanks!
Hi Patty, hmm, we aren’t sure what happened as we haven’t had this issue! How did the cakes turn out? Did you make any modifications?
Jane says
I’ve noticed that almond flour will continue to absorb liquid over time, so I’ll let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes before adjusting.
Fatima says
Hi there, it’s my son’s first birthday tomorrow and I am making this cake as his birthday cake today because he is allergic to wheat, eggs, dairy etc. I’m all the way in Ivory Coast though and I cannot find vegan butter. Can I substitute with an oil of some kind?
Hmm, I haven’t tested it without butter of some kind. You could try coconut oil, but I’m not sure how it would work. Keep us posted?
Fatima says
Thanks for the quick reply. I can also try a margarine. Perhaps that’s a better bet. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Isobel says
This recipe is amazing! I have made it several times now, and every batch has turned out delicious!
I have made it for two events where it has sat on display in a warm room for a few hours before being cut, and it has held its own (doubled recipe, four layers stacked – using 20cm cake tins).
Although a couple of people have, I personally wouldn’t recommend freezing – worked out ok, but found it was a little dryer than usual! Also the almond meal doesn’t work as a substitute for all of the almond flour, but worked fine when i was about 1/3 cup short of flour!
I didn’t reveal to guests that it was GF/vegan until they’d finished eating and everyone was stunned! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! :)
Hi Isobel, Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your experience. We are so glad you enjoy this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Stacey Osmon says
Hi. I am making this for my daughter’s birthday today. I do not have potato starch. Would I use 1 1/3 cup cornstarch? Is this an egg replacement? If she can have eggs could I use eggs instead?
Hi Stacey, the potato starch is a pretty specific ingredient that helps the texture go a long way. But perhaps a blend of arrowroot and/or a GF blend would work? We would recommend getting potato starch, if possible.
Isabella Moir says
I’ve previously made your 1 bowl vegan chocolate cake and it was amazing! I decorated with vegan buttercream, sprinkles and coconut whipped cream.
I’ve been asked to make this vegan + gluten free cake for my friend but almond flour isn’t readily available in my area, and when it is it’s quite expensive. Would coconut flour work? Or would ground almonds be better? Not sure if the latter is fine enough!
Thanks :)
Hi Isabella, so glad you enjoyed our chocolate cake! Coconut flour is a lot more dense than almond flour, so we do not think that will work! In a pinch, you could sub almond meal. We haven’t tested it with any other alternative flours so we don’t have any other recommendations at this time.
Nicole Luken says
I’m needing to make some gluten free cupcakes for an event this weekend and wondered if this recipe will work. I’m new to gluten free baking so I wasn’t sure if it translates as well in cupcake form. If it will work how full should I fill the liners?
Hi Nicole, we haven’t tried it, but other readers have had success making cupcakes with this recipe! They mentioned that the batter makes 24 cupcakes baked for about 15 minutes (not sure how full each was, sorry). Hope that helps!
Shobaa says
Please help!
I followed your recipe to the dot…
My cakes sank in middl.
What am i doing wrong?
Thanks a lot for ur help!
Best
Shobaa
Hi Shobaa, A little sinkage in the middle is normal. But you could try and make the batter a bit more dry (with flours) to help with this! Or, add more leavening ingredients. Hope that helps!
Holly Watson says
That is not great advice for high altitude bakers. It’s counter intuitive but as you increase altitude, you decrease leavening agents. If your readers are at 3000-5000 feet, they might want to consider some high attitude adjustments. I looked over your site and I can’t figure out where you’re located but altitude is too often a forgotten piece of a baking puzzle.
Tia Nelson says
Amazing recipe, taste is absolutely divine. I love all you’re recipes, you are my vegan go too!
Thanks, Tia!
Tia Nelson says
Are there any specific recipe modifications that you would suggest for using a 9″ cake pan for one big cake? I’m making a two layer, and I just wondered if I should increase bake time or any ingredients, I made it last week and it turned out great. Only a teeny bit crumbly
Nothing I can think of, other than decreasing bake time shortly, perhaps. But check in with a toothpick and monitor the color as it goes!
Tova says
If I can make a gluten-free, vegan and sugar-free cake I might literally jump for joy! Have you tried substituting with liquid or packs of Stevia? Wondering if it turns out right as the sugar would add some bulk I would imagine. Thanks!
We’ll add that to the list! If subbing this recipe with stevia, do so to taste and add more almond flour as needed to dry out the texture.
Elizabeth says
Is it possible to use King Arthur’s Gluten Free flour instead of the almond flour, potato and corn starch? I’m not sure how much of the Gluten Free flour mix I should use…
Hmm, we haven’t tested it that way. But let us know how it goes!!
Florence says
Hello – did you try this with gf flour instead of the suggested blend? Thanks
Elizabeth says
I’m going to give it a try! Will let you know how it goes!
Arlene says
Please let me know if you tried it as I need to make that and gf flour is all I have.
Elizabeth says
I did give it a try and it turned out quite well! I used 4 1/2 cups of King Authur’s Gluten Free Flour Mix. It was a little dry after I mixed it and needed to add more coconut milk so maybe a little less flour would be better? 4 cups instead? I also used honey instead of sugar – 3/4 if you don’t like it too sweet. I prefer sweeter so maybe try 1 cup honey. Hope it turns out well for you! It’s a fun and easy cake to make!!!
Elizabeth says
I gave it a try with the gluten free flour mix and it turned out quite well! I used 4 1/2 cups of King Authur’s Gluten Free Flour Mix. It was a little dry after I mixed it and needed to add more coconut milk so maybe a little less flour would be better? 4 cups instead? I also used honey instead of sugar – 3/4 if you don’t like it too sweet. I prefer sweeter so maybe try 1 cup honey. Hope it turns out well for you! It’s a fun and easy cake to make!!!
Kaveri says
hello, I was most excited to make this recipe. Unfortunately, the batter didn’t not turn out as described at all. It was a stoggy lump. Something seems to be wrong with the starch ratios. It has the texture of mocha.
Hi there, I’d love to help troubleshoot! The batter shouldn’t be the texture of “mocha” – I assume you mean the drink? Are you sure you read the measurements correctly, and did you sub any ingredients?
Elle says
So I have made this twice now. The first time as written and it turned out well. The second time I made it for my friend’s birthday and she requested either lemon or strawberry cake. So I made the cake as written, but added lemon zest from half a large lemon and juice from half a large lemon to the batter. It turned out great. I also made the buttercream frosting and added the zest and juice from the other half of the lemon. I made the cake in two six inch rounds and sliced the rounds in half for presentation.
I filled the cake with a thick strawberry coulis and frosted it with the lemon buttercream. I made 6 cupcakes with the extra batter. This cake was so well received that my friend’s son requested one for his birthday and he is neither vegan nor gf.
Great! Thanks for sharing, Elle! So helpful for us and other readers!!
Elle says
Dana just wanted to let you know that this cake, with the lemon additions noted in my earlier comment, has become the most requested birthday cake I make. Thank you so much for this recipe that comes out great every time. I am making it again today for my niece’s birthday. Thank you for all the great recipes you share. I also wanted to share that I have tried it cutting back on the sugar to 1 cup and replacing half the granulated sugar with coconut sugar. It turned out fine. I added about an extra 1/4 cup of almond meal to even out the wet/dry ratio.
Thanks so much for your kind words and for sharing your modifications, Elle! We are so glad everyone enjoys it! xo
Lia says
Does this turn out well non gluten free? I am just needing vegan. How would I substitute?
Hi Lia, we are 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!
Leigha says
I have made tons of gluten free, vegan cakes and frostings but this was BY FAR the BEST cake we’ve ever had. It was moist, had no “allergy free” taste and the buttercream frosting tasted like the real thing! This will be our new go-to recipe for birthdays!!!
Barbie says
This was the most amazing cake! I had never made a cake from scratch, let alone a vegan gluten-free one, so I was anxious about how mine would turn out. I made this for mothers day and my entire family was getting together and everyone absolutely loved it! I was nervous because my family isn’t one for “healthified” recipes and they were so impressed and I only had one slice leftover. The texture, moisture, and flavor was all on point. I can’t wait to make this again! I feel way more confident in my cake baking skills now and now that it’s gone I find myself craving it :)
So glad to hear it, Barbie! We are so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
Nat says
Hi there! I’ve made tons of your recipes and loved them all, so I was really looking forward to making this cake, but it didn’t turn out quite right for me. I followed measurements and instructions well, but the cake hardly rose at all. They turned out very flat – like less than an inch tall. Any thoughts?? Thank you!
Hmm, did you make any substitutions at all? Also, did you bake it in one pan or more? It doesn’t rise as much as a cake with gluten, but it shouldn’t be flat. And you didn’t forget the leavener?
Nat says
You had it spot on, I divided it into three 9” pans, completely read instructions wrong!! Thank you so much, attempting again tonight for party tomorrow!
Michelle says
What can I use to substitute for potato starch? I am not finding this anywhere in stores.
Hi Michelle, that’s a pretty specific ingredient that helps the texture go a long way. But perhaps a blend of arrowroot and/or a GF blend would work?
Malene says
Hello, it looks like it has a really nice texture, light and airy with large crumbs, which is exactly what I have been looking for in a basic cake recipe (usually they have added coconut flour to get this lovely texture).
I was wondering if I can substitute the applesauce with anything?
Good question! Check the comments for other readers’ substitutions. I haven’t tried subbing applesauce but I’d think another non-starchy fruit puree would work, such as pear?
Monica says
My husband asked what cake I want for Mother’s Day (it’s tradition that we bake some treats for a family member’s special day) and I said this one! Now I am wondering if the coconut whipped cream of the V+GF birthday cake would work on this one?
It should!
Cindy Ashline says
This looks really good but what could be substituted for almond flour? It is good for people with gluten allergies but I have family members with tree nut & coconut allergies. I never heard of potato starch. Where do you get that? Thank you.
Potato starch can be found in grocery stores or online! Subbing the almond flour is difficult, but what about another seed meal, such as sunflower or hemp?
Anna says
Made this for my sons 1st Birthday. This cake turned out amazing! I used coconut sugar instead, and it worked great! My niece said, ‘this is the best cake in the world!’
Thank you for the sweet recipe ❤️
AMK says
Tried this recipe out and adjusted for a family member who has food allergies to wheat, nuts, and dairy. I really enjoyed it! I like how it’s more dense than normal cake and not too sweet. The vanilla flavor came through really well. I used unsweetened coconut milk (refrigerated kind in the carton just from a regular grocery store).
I adjusted the recipe to replace almond flour (due to nut allergies)—3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp coconut flour (plus around 6 Tbsp more so batter not as watery) and 3 eggs.
Also tried another variation—3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp coconut flour (plus around 1/2 cup more so batter not as watery), 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp tapioca flour, 2.5 eggs, and 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp coconut milk—that resulted in a chewier texture (not in a bad way), but I didn’t feel like it “kept” as well as the first variation the next day.
Had another family member make a trifle with a cake like this with strawberries and coconut whipped cream and that was really good! Didn’t try it this time, but when I find the right brand of coconut cream I will give it a go. Don’t know how much it affected the results, but I do live at an elevation of around 4500 ft above sea level. Really appreciate how detailed your recipes are and having videos and great pictures also helped me to know if I had the right consistency when I’m cooking/baking. Your site has also been great for adjusting for food allergies! :)
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Thuy says
So I made it with two 9” pans and after the cake has cooled down it seems to fall apart. Do you think it’s because of the pan size ? I have not changed anything besides that
Hi Thuy, we wouldn’t expect that to cause an issue, but it is possible! It sounds more like it needed additional moisture (such as almond milk). Hope that helps!
Nina says
I don’t know if I’d call it a vanilla cake, I would say it’s more like an almond breakfast cake. Usually I love all MB recipes, and I made this one as precise to the directions as possible, but I think I was just disappointed because I was expecting a more traditional vanilla cake. For an almondy breakfast cake thing, delicious!
Hi Nina, Sorry to hear this wasn’t what you were hoping for! You may enjoy our Funfetti Cupcakes (minus the sprinkles) as they are a more traditional vanilla cake recipe. Hope that helps!
Monica says
I just saw a comment asking how to make the Funfetti cupcakes gluten free and you directed them to this recipe ?
Hi Monica, yes! Rainbow sprinkles can be added to this recipe in a similar way to the funfetti cupcakes to make a gluten-free funfetti cupcake. It won’t be quite as traditional, but similar.
Saltspringer115 says
I made this cake on Saturday . Well actually twice. The first time, since I didn’t have potato starch, I subbed in tapioca (this after carefully researching). Fell apart! Don’t sub tapioca in such large quantities.
Second time, I subbed gf flour mixture and it was great. Used homemade low sugar blueberry jam in between layers (with frosting natch) and frosted using the butter cream recipe. Blueberries on top. And it was declared beautiful and yummy by all.
So glad you enjoyed it! That blueberry jam addition sounds dreamy!
Anne Boyd says
I made a double batch of this recipe so that I could make a large triple layer easter cake for a large family get together. I had not made before, but have made enough MB gluten free recipes to trust that it would be good, and it really exceeded my expectations. If you like a slightly denser, richer cake you will love this one. We used the buttercream icing and as it was an easter cake it was decorated with lots of pastel colours. It is a little more effort because of the ingredient list (which I followed exactly)but well worth the effort. Will definitely make again.
So glad you liked it, Anna! Thanks for sharing!