Grain-free Vanilla Cake gluten-free | grain-free | dairy-free | tree nut free by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Jan. 30, 2025 This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information.
Finally! A grain-free vanilla cake that looks and tastes like cake! It’s not too dense, not too moist, not too dry, and not too cakey. Baking with grain-free flours is tricky. And making a cake that is grain-free but still moist, sweet, and soft is even trickier. But this grain-free vanilla cake recipe takes the cake, literally! It is perfectly soft, moist and subtly flavored with pure vanilla extract. Baking this cake is a breeze and it has quickly become a staple recipe on my homestead. I can make a dessert that is grain-free and dairy-free, but still looks and tastes like a traditional cake!
Modern Pioneer Recipe
This vanilla cake recipe is a modern pioneer recipe! I’m not sure how common vanilla cakes were in the early pioneer days, but if I could hazard a guess, I would say vanilla cakes didn’t make an appearance too often in the early pioneer kitchens. However, a good, classic vanilla cake recipe is surely to be a staple in the modern pioneer kitchen!
Allergy-Friendly– The best way to make a vanilla cake into a modern pioneer recipe is by making it allergy-friendly. So that’s exactly what I did. Now all modern pioneers can enjoy a slice of cake no matter their dietary restrictions! This cake is…
gluten-free
grain-free
dairy-free
tree nut free
corn free
uses less-refined sugars
Simple– Another reason why you will love this grain-free vanilla cake is because it only requires one bowl and one grain-free flour to make it! I like to keep a variety of grain-free flours in stocked in my homestead pantry, but having a one-flour recipe is always nice. This cake uses cassava flour for a moist, soft texture. You can also whip this cake up using one bowl… so minimal dishes!
And if you have a staple vanilla cake recipe in the homestead kitchen… you’ve also got to have a staple chocolate cake recipe too! Check out this grain-free moist chocolate cake recipe!
How to Decorate a Vanilla Cake
Have you been on Pinterest and looked up fancy cakes? There are so many cool ways to decorate a cake! Albeit, most of them look pretty non-edible and I can almost guarantee they are not allergy-friendly. However, there are still countless ways to decorate a grain-free cake while still using natural, ‘healthier’ ingredients. Here are some of my favorite cake decorating supplies:
Miss Jones Bakes Vanilla Frosting- This frosting is my shortcut when I need to make dairy-free frosting. You need one container for a single layer cake and two containers for a double layer cake.
Chocolate Trees- You can easily make chocolate trees by melting chocolate chips and spreading them over pretzel sticks that act as the tree trunk. I have made both white chocolate trees and dark chocolate trees.
Kinnikinnick Vanilla Sandwich Cookies- Vanilla sandwich cookies make a fun decoration for a vanilla cake, and the Kinnikinnick sandwich cookies are gluten-free and allergy-friendly.
Candy Canes– Crushed candy canes add a nice festive touch to a cake when you are decorating a cake for the holidays!
Dandies Mini Marshmallows- These little marshmallows are gluten-free and corn free. You could also use homemade marshmallows to make the decorations even healthier!
Shredded Coconut-Shredded coconut adds a little texture to the cake decorations.
Beet Powder-Beet powder is the perfect all-natural red food coloring if you want to add a splash of color to your cake.
All-Natural Sprinkles– Sprinkles are a classic birthday cake decoration. I like to use naturally-dyed sprinkles on my cakes and cupcakes.
Grain-free Cake Recipe Tips
Making a cake from scratch may seem intimidating. And making a grain-free cake from scratch may sound even more risky. But these few recipe tips should help you feel confident as you head to the kitchen to whip up this grain-free vanilla cake!
Recipe Tips:
Whisk the dry ingredients together. Whisking the dry ingredients separately will ensure that everything’s evenly mixed and no flour clumps remain.
Choosing a neutral oil. I like to use avocado oil in my baking since it has a neutral flavor. You can also use coconut oil, just make sure it is completely melted.
Use room temperature eggs. Room temperature eggs will mix into the batter better and will actually help the cake rise.
Add a vanilla bean. If you want an even more classic tasting vanilla cake, scrap the seeds from an organic vanilla pod and add it to the batter.
Use corn free baking powder. While I don’t use baking powder very often, when I do use it I prefer Otto’s Naturals baking powder since it is corn free.
The batter will be a little thick. This cake batter should seem a little thicker than traditional cake batter. Do not try to thin it out with more yogurt.
Line the bottom of your cake pans. Cut circles of parchment paper to fit into the bottoms of your cake pan(s). That way you don’t have to worry about the bottoms of the cakes sticking.
Make two batches for a double layer cake. This recipe has not been tested by being doubled to make a two layer cake. Instead, just make two batches of the recipe in separate bowls.
Enjoy this cake within 1-2 days! Unlike traditional cakes, which tend to dry out over time, this grain-free cake will actually get a little denser the longer it is kept around. For the fluffiest, lightest texture, enjoy the cake within 1-2 of baking it.
Cake Decorating Tips
Cakes that are decorated with the really fake but edible decorations and fondu never looked that appealing to me. When I decorate my cakes, I like to use good old fashioned ingredients that look both unique and delicious. However, this does come with some difficulties. Here are some tips for successfully decorating a healthy cake with healthy toppings!
Decorating Tips:
Use room temperature frosting. I always make sure my frosting is at room temperature so that it spreads easier. With the Miss Jones Bakes frosting, you will need to microwave it for about 20-30 seconds to soften it for easy spreading.
Stir your frosting. I have found that when you give the oil-based frostings a good stir that it makes them smoother and creamier than if you just apply them from right out of the jar. Vigorously stir the Miss Jones Frosting after softening it to make it fluffy and light.
Use a spoon or a scraper. Spoons can make some pretty neat swirls and swells while a butter knife or drywall/grout scraper (make sure it’s super clean!) can be used to create a smooth, even coating of frosting.
Do a crumb coat. Put a very thin, messy layer of frosting on the cake first to cover and collect any crumbs, then add the actual layer of frosting.
Get a cold cookie sheet. When making chocolate trees, freeze a cookie tray while you melt the chocolate. That way the tray will already be cold by the time you have to drizzle and draw the trees on the sheet.
Use a hammer or meat tenderizer to crush the candy canes.
Less is more. I have found that you have to use a lot of red natural food coloring (like beet powder) to get a true red color. However, when mixing in the food coloring, start in small increments and keep adding more until the desired color is reached.
For two layer cakes, cut the top off one of the cakes. To make an even layered cake, cut off the rounded top of one of the cake layers so that the other layer sets evenly on top.
Slide scraps of parchment paper under the edges of the cake when you are frosting it. That way you can easily remove any frosting smears from the cake stand.
Glue the bottom layer of your cake to the cake stand with a smudge of frosting, this will help keep your cake from sliding around in its stand.
Have fun making this grain-free vanilla cake… and decorating it too! I had a blast creating my cake, and, of course it tasted fantastic as well. For decorating, I stuck with a simple topping of fluffy frosting and some all-natural sprinkles. This gluten-free cake is easy to make and perfect for holidays or birthday celebrations!
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spread some coconut oil on the sides of one 8" circular cake pan. Cut some parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: cassava flour, cane sugar, maple sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Stir until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain. The batter should seem thick but still pourable.
Pour the batter into the cake pan and spread out the top evenly.
Bake for 50-55 minutes. The cake should bounce back when lightly pressed and the center should be nicely domed. NOTE: As the cake cools, it will settle and become more flat. This is normal for baking grain-free cakes and the texture should still be moist and soft.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the cake pan. Let the cake cool completely before decorating.
This cake is best enjoyed within 1-2 days of beging baked. Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature. Leftover can also be frozen for later.
This grain-free vanilla cake is simple, delicious, allergy-friendly, and fun to decorate! The texture is just the way a cake should be…. soft, moist, and with a perfect crumb. The taste is amazing too, especially when you add some healthier toppings! It is the perfect gluten-free dessert for any occasion that everyone on the homestead can enjoy. Keep it simple and make an elegant single layer cake, or get fancy and whip up two batches of the recipe for a fantastic double layer cake! This grain-free vanilla cake recipe is a staple recipe in my homestead kitchen!
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