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Slice of Gluten-Free Vanilla Layer Cake on a plate with fork ful removed showing creamy buttercream.
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4.75 from 4 votes

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake (without xanthan gum)

Gluten-Free Vanilla Layer Cake is made without xanthan gum and is deliciously fluffy, light and moist. It is filled and covered with a dreamy vanilla swiss meringue buttercream.
Prep Time1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Servings: 16 people
Calories: 662kcal

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake

  • 225 g unsalted butter room temperature
  • 400 g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs medium size, (about 60g each)
  • 150 ml whole milk
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 160 g sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour)
  • 140 g gluten-free oat flour
  • 40 g tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 9 egg whites 270g
  • 450 g caster sugar
  • 540 g unsalted butter at room temperature, cubed
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted /gas mark 4 / 350°F and line and grease 2 x round 8 inch cake tins.
  • Beat together the sugar and butter until pale, light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating on a low speed.
  • In a measuring jug whisk together the whole milk and vanilla extract and set aside for a moment.
  • Whisk together the flours, baking powder and sea salt in a large mixing bowl until completely combined.
  • Add the flour mix alternately with the milk, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two (begin and end with the flour), scrape down the sides of the bowls as needed and mix until just combined.
  • Divide between the cake tins and bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • Heat egg whites and caster sugar in a bain marie (or bowl of stand mixer sitting on large saucepan filled with simmering water), whisking constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature has reached 160°F (71°C).
  • Remove the egg whites and sugar from the heat and pour into a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium setting for about 10-15 minutes until a glossy meringue has formed into stiff peaks and the temperature has lowered to room temperature 68°F to 75°F (20°C to 24°C).
  • Change the whisk attachment to a paddle beater and beat on low adding the room temperature butter one cube at a time. Once you have added all of the butter the mixture will look thick and curdled but keep whipping the buttercream until it comes together to a smooth and creamy consistency.
  • Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix in until thoroughly combined. Your buttercream is now ready for decorating and piping.

Assembly

  • Place one of the cake sponges on a cake board or cake stand.
  • Fill a piping bag with the buttercream. Snip the very top off the piping bag and pipe concentric circles around the top of the cake sponge. Use a small spatula to smooth so it creates an even layer of buttercream.
  • Place the second cake sponge on top of the buttercream then add another layer of buttercream.
  • Pipe the rest of the buttercream around the sides of the cake and use a spatula to smooth.
  • Decorate with piped buttercream if you wish.

Video

Notes

Eggs. The eggs used in this recipe are medium size, 60g with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs I suggest you weigh the amount.
Gluten-Free Flours. I don't recommend swapping the flours for a shop bought all-purpose blend but you could use my Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend instead of the flours listed above.
Individual flour substitutions. You can swap the oat flour for sorghum flour. The tapioca flour can be swapped for potato starch. The sweet rice flour can be swapped for almond flour but this will change the texture and taste of the cake slightly.
Cupcakes. You can use this recipe to make gluten-free vanilla cupcakes. This recipe makes enough for 18 cupcakes.
The Cake
  • Use the best quality ingredients you can and always use vanilla extract (never essence).
  • Use room temperature butter and eggs.
  • Beat the butter and sugar for about 6 minutes, scraping down the sides a couple of times. This is how your cake will be beautifully fluffy.
  • Break eggs into a separate bowl before adding.
  • Add the flour mix alternately with the milk to ensure it is all evenly mixed.
  • Check the cake is baked by inserting a clean cocktail stick or skewer. It should come out clean with no wet batter.
  • Leave the sponges for 5 minutes to rest in their tins
  • Always leave to cool completely before covering with buttercream.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  • Use a sugar thermometer so you know exactly when to move onto the next step of the process.
  • The butter should be at room temperature - just slightly soft.
  • If you are doing everything right then when you have almost added all the butter the mixture will look curdled. Do not fret – this is supposed to happen and just means you are nearly done. Just continue to add all the butter. Once the butter is totally incorporated the buttercream will miraculously become a smooth velvety consistency.
  • If when you add the butter the buttercream turns to soup then your butter was too warm. Place the whole mixing bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes then try mixing it again.
  • If the mixture seems greasy and the butter won’t fully mix in with the egg whites then the butter was too cold. Put the mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, when the butter melts at the edges, remove and beat it up again.

Freezing and Storing

  • This cake is suitable for freezing either before or after you have covered in buttercream for up to 3 months.
  • Keep the cake in the fridge if you are not serving it straightaway. Remove from the fridge about an hour before serving.

US customary measurements

These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups 

Nutrition information

Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.
The nutrition serving is for 1 slice of cake, assuming the pie is cut into 16 servings. These slices are very generous and if you cut your cake up party style then you could easily gain many more servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 662kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 1269IU | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg