Why This Recipe Is Great:
This homemade gluten free cake mix makes this delicious gluten free vanilla cake . This cake gets rave reviews from readers who have used it for every occasion from weddings, to birthdays, to holidays.
Ditch The Gluten Without Ditching The Flavor
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Many food manufacturers have answered the increasing demand for easy-to-make gluten-free products with various gluten-free cake mixes. Unfortunately, many fall short on taste and texture.
One alternative is to make your own gluten-free cake completely from scratch, but if youre short on time or you dont have the knack for baking, great gluten-free cake mixes do existyou just have to find them, or in this case, let us find them for you. We researched every option out there to bring you the top contenders.
Here are the best gluten-free cake mixes.
Simple Mills nailed this gluten-free almond flour cake mix. Made with only seven ingredientsalmond flour, organic coconut sugar, arrowroot powder, organic coconut flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sea saltthis mix proves that you dont need additives to get the job done.
This Delicious Rich Cake Just Happens To Be Gluten
With a tender and moist texture and an intense, oh-so-chocolatey flavor, this mix is your go-to for birthdays and special occasions. Our mixes are carefully crafted in our test kitchen through meticulous taste-testing and blending to replicate our favorite recipes.The result? Mixes that make the finest gluten-free baked goods around. Simple ingredients, reliable results, and deliciousness that everyone can enjoy!
- 22 oz. mix makes two 8″ or 9″ round layers, one 9″ x 13″ sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes
- Certified Gluten-Free by the non-profit Gluten-Free Certification Organization , a program of the Gluten Intolerance Group
- Non-GMO Project Verified
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How To Make Whipped Chocolate Ganache
To make it from simple chocolate ganache, use the proportions specified in the recipe below. Once the ganache has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator to chill until it can be scooped with a spoon. That should take a couple of hours.
Remove the chilled ganache from the refrigerator. Whip it with a hand mixer until its thick, light and fluffy, and add a bit of confectioners sugar if youd like it a bit sweeter, and a bit thicker.
We’ve Created A Gluten
Turn it into a tender, golden layer cake or make a batch of moist, finely-crumbed cupcakes. You pick the frostings and fillings . Our mixes are carefully crafted in our test kitchen through meticulous taste-testing and blending to replicate our favorite recipes.The result? Mixes that make the finest gluten-free baked goods around. Simple ingredients, reliable results, and deliciousness that everyone can enjoy!
- 22 oz. mix
- Makes two 8″ or 9″ round layers, one 9″ x 13″ sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes
- Non-GMO Project Verified
- Instructions are included to make the mix non-dairy
- Click here to learn more about allergens and cross-contact prevention
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Best Vanilla: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten
Bobs Red Mill is a leader in baking mixes, and its gluten-free yellow variety is the best around. Its moist, fluffy, and delicious all on its own, but it also provides a great neutral base for fancier desserts, like pineapple upside-down, carrot, or fresh lemon cake.
If you want, you can also use this mix to make a white cake instead of a yellow one. Just use egg whites in place of whole eggs. Most reviewers say its so good that if you dont tell people its gluten-free, they won’t be able to tell the difference.
Simple Pantry Ingredients For A Yummy Gluten Free Cake
This cake doesnt call for super specialized ingredients. Its made with basic vanilla cake ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.
Unlike our one bowl gluten free chocolate cake, to get the best vanilla cake youre going to have sift the dry ingredients. Yes, you really do have to if you want that super tender, non-grainy crumb.
Then, beat the heck out of the butter and sugar before you even think about adding anything else. A stand mixer is great, but a handheld mixer works just as well provided youre willing to stand there, beating and beating for at least 3 minutes.
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The Secret To Gluten Free Cake Success
The secret to the very best vanilla cake recipe, gluten free, is in the balance of ingredients at the proper temperatureand in the method. Read the recipe through carefully first, follow it closely, and youll know you can make a vanilla cake, gluten free, with an open crumb and tons of delicate flavor any time.
The most important parts of the method are using one of my recommended gf flour blends, sifting it well, and beating the butter and sugar together until theyre light and fluffy. And your ingredients must be at room temperature before you begin, or they wont combine properly no matter what you do.
You may notice some negative reviews sprinkled in among the positive ones commenting on this recipe. They were left by people who used the wrong gf flour blend, didnt measure by weight, didnt sift, didnt combine the dry and wet ingredients separately first, beat the butter and sugar for long enough, etc.
In other words, they didnt follow the recipe as written! I wish it were as simple to make a perfect gluten free vanilla cake as it is to make, say, a one-bowl gf banana bread.
I can only tell it like it isand happily I can guide you through each step toward complete recipe success. Its all worth it!
Whats In Gluten Free Flour
There are a lot gluten free flour blends out there. Each brand uses a unique mixture of wheat flour alternatives, like rice flour, brown rice flour, and even almond flour.
It can be difficult to get the texture of gluten free flour just right for baking. A lot of these alternative flours have a finer texture than all-purpose flour.
Some type of starch is usually added to help give the mixture better structure, and a bit of binding power. Tapioca and potato starch are the most commonly used starches.
One other ingredient in gluten free flour that might sound a little strange is xanthan gum. Its a key ingredient in gluten free baking. Xanthan gum has a big impact on the texture of gluten free baked goods too.
Gluten adds an elasticity and stickiness to dough and batter. Xanthan gum emulates these characteristics in gluten free baking, and helps lock in moisture.
Luckily for us, xanthan gum is included in almost all gluten free flour blends .
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Making These Cake Layers In Advance & Storage Tips
Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.
When You Want To Be Low Key About Your Celebration
A layer cake like our gluten free birthday cake is often the perfect celebration cake. But it makes a bit more of a dramatic presentation. That isnt always appropriate.
At my daughters 8th-grade graduation dinner, which was held at a local restaurant that handles gluten free food really well , we were already serving almost everyone a sheet cake that my husband bought from a wholesale club. It was your classic buttercream-frosted sheet cake.
My son is extremely sensitive to being singled out for anything, for better or for worse , and if I showed up with a 9-inch round layer cake, hed want to disappear. Instead, I wanted to be able to mimic what everyone else was eating, and a 9-inch x 13-inch sheet cake was the perfect compromise.
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Best Chocolate: King Arthur Flour Gluten
King Arthur Flour has been making gluten-free products since things like gluten-free cake mixes were only available in specialty stores online. Nowadays, its gluten-free cake mixes are easily accessible and extremely delicious. This one has a rich, decadent chocolate flavor and moist crumb that pleases a crowd, whether that crowd follows a gluten-free diet or not.
The ingredients list is pretty straightforward, and everything is non-GMO. Because this cake holds up so well to frosting, and one box bakes two 8- or 9-inch cakes, its ideal for building gluten-free layer cakes.
Why I Prefer Vanilla Bean Paste Over Vanilla Extract In This Recipe
Its important to use good quality vanilla when its the only flavor in a baked good like this. I used vanilla bean paste in this recipe, and I think it makes a huge difference in taste!
I prefer vanilla bean paste to vanilla extract in this recipe for a couple reasons. The first reason is that I love the little flecks of vanilla bean in the buttercream frosting and cake layers.
Theyre beautiful!! Its like you can see that warm, delicious flavor swirled throughout the cake.
I also think that the vanilla bean paste adds a stronger, better flavor than vanilla extract. If you havent tried it before, I highly recommend giving it a try. Its not too expensive, and it really elevates the flavor of this cake!
If you dont want to buy another ingredient or you prefer using vanilla extract, thats ok too! Just be sure to use real vanilla extract. Imitation vanilla just doesnt do it for me flavor-wise.
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Best Pound Cake: Williams Sonoma Gluten
Pound cake is typically denser and moister than regular cakesomething thats been pretty difficult to replicate with gluten-free mixes until the Williams Sonoma Gluten-Free Vanilla Pound Cake Mix came along. Made with a special blend of gluten-free flours and Madagascar vanilla power, this rich and buttery cake is moist, tender, and dense enough to make it truly reminiscent of your grandmothers homemade pound cake.
While the finished creation is delicious on its own, it also acts as the perfect base for strawberry shortcake and is a welcome addition to a gluten-free trifle dessert. You can even make a gluten-free pound cake French toast.
A gluten-free indicator doesn’t always mean a product is vegan, too, but Thrive Market provides explicit instructions on its almond flour cake mix for making a delectable vegan and gluten-free confection thats moist, delicious, and totally hits the spot. All you have to do is swap the eggs for a combination of applesauce and cornstarch.
Better yet, the ingredients list for this mix is quite simple, featuring almond flour, organic coconut sugar, organic arrowroot powder, organic coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt. While the finished cakes texture is a bit differentits a little grainy, thanks to the thicker texture of the almond flourits still an absolute crowd-pleaser.
Jiffy Golden Yellow Cake Mix
Per 1/6 package : 175 calories, 4 g fat , 285 mg sodium, 33 g carbs , 2 g protein
Labels like this can be quite deceiving. Jiffy may legally be able to claim that this product contains “0 g trans fat,” but a deeper look at their ingredients explains otherwise. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil and cottonseed oil both qualify as trans fats. And as stated above, there’s no reason to continue to ingest these potentially life threatening ingredients.
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Making Your Own Gluten Free Cake
Ive found a recipe for the best gluten-free white cake mix. White cake mixes are made using the egg white only not a yolk in sight. Gluten-Free Bakings Perfect White Cake Recipe looks simply decadent and is perfect for any birthday or wedding. Theres an abundance of recipes online for gluten-free cakes, so have a browse and let me know your favorites.
Making a gluten-free cake for the first time can feel overwhelming and Im a person who loves to research before I try things. The book Gluten-Free Baking for Dummies is a great buy if youre diagnosis is new and youre wanting to venture into the world of gluten-free baking.
Vanilla Mixes From Worst To Best
Because every brand differs on their preparation techniques when it comes to how many eggs to use or whether to blend the mix with butter or oil we chose to rank the brands based solely on their dry mix nutrition facts. Points were deducted from cakes with high fat content as these fats are likely from shortening and inflammatory oils as well as mixes that are high in sugar and calories. Any mix made with now-banned trans fats immediately went to the worst of the worst despite any potentially redeeming nutritional qualities.
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For Delicious Tender Cake Try Our Easy King Arthur Mix
Ideal for cupcakes, bundt-style or layered birthday cakes. Just add butter, eggs & milk.
Our mixes are carefully crafted in our test kitchen through meticulous taste-testing and blending to replicate our favorite recipes. The best part? We do the measuring and mixing for you. The result? Consistent deliciousness that everyone can enjoy made with simple ingredients that we bake with every day in our kitchens no artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, and all non-GMO.
- Yields 2 dozen cupcakes two 9″ rounds, or a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake
- Kosher
High Altitude Baking:
- Preheat the oven to 360°F. Whisk together the dry mix with the additional flour and Instant ClearJel if using then proceed with the package directions as written using the adjusted amounts below. Check for doneness 5 minutes sooner than lowest bake time given on package.
- 3500 to 5000 feet: Add 1 tablespoon flour and 1½ teaspoons Instant ClearJel to the mix. Add 2 teaspoons extra milk.
- 5000 to 7000 feet: Add 2 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon Instant Clearjel to the mix. Add 1 tablespoon extra milk.
- 7000 to 9500 feet: Add ¼ cup flour, 2 tablespoons Instant ClearJel to the mix. Add 2 tablespoons extra milk.