Gluten-Free Funfetti Cake

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This gluten-free funfetti cake is everything a celebration cake should be—soft, moist, and packed with colorful sprinkles. It bakes up just like the classic version I loved as a kid, but without the gluten. The batter is thick and easy to work with, the texture is light and fluffy, and the vanilla flavor shines through in every bite.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Baking, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten-free funfetti cake

Servings: servings

Author: Cheryl Johnson

Equipment

2 9x9-inch cake pans

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (280 grams) Cup4Cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum only if your flour blend doesn’t already include it
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cup granulated sugar 350 grams
½ cup unsalted butter (115 grams) softened almost to the point of melting but not yet fully melted. For dairy-free, use Smart Balance butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk room temperature. For dairy-free, use unsweteened almond milk
½ cup sprinkles

Buttercream Frosting

6 cups powdered sugar (720 grams)
1 ½ cups unsalted butter (340 grams) softened, For dairy-free, use Smart Balance butter
2 to 4 tablespoons milk for dairy-free, use unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray two 8” round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and line the inside bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. The parchment paper circles inside the bottoms of the pans will help greatly when removing the cakes from the pans. Set aside for now.
In a medium bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, xanthan gum (if needed), baking soda, and salt. Set aside for now.
In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter together for 3 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy. It’s important that you beat for the full 3 minutes as you’ll need these light and airy bubbles in the cake batter to ensure it bakes up nice and soft.
Beat the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Beat on high for a minute until fluffy and light.
Pour half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat on low just until combined.
Pour half of the buttermilk into the wet mixture and beat on low just until combined.
Pour the remaining dry ingredients into the wet mixture and beat on low just until combined.
Pour the remaining buttermilk into the wet mixture and beat on low just until combined.
Stir (not beat) the sprinkles into the batter.
Spread the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. This is a thick cake batter—like the consistency of a thick pudding—so be sure to smooth it out in the cake pan before baking.
Bake for 35 to 37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Leave the cakes in the pans to cool for 10 minutes then transfer cakes out of the pans and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Layer and decorate the cakes with your favorite frosting. If you’d like a delicious buttercream frosting recipe, continue reading.
Buttercream: Combine all buttercream ingredients into a large bowl and beat on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk in the recipe and continue to add milk (by the tablespoon) until desired consistency is reached.
Cake can be wrapped in food-safe plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

Make sure all ingredients are certified gluten-free and free from cross-contamination warnings.
Stick with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for the best results.
Don’t skip the xanthan gum. If your flour blend doesn’t include it, add 1 tsp to help create a fluffy texture.
Helpful tip when layering cakes: trim the top “crusty” layer off the cakes before adding frosting and layering them together.
When choosing sprinkles to add to the cake, look for the long oval style of sprinkles (also called jimmies). Do not use the hard ball style of sprinkles (called nonpareils) as they’re too hard to bite into and the color bleeds into the cake batter.
Generously grease your pans. Use non-stick baking spray and parchment to help cakes release easily.

Nutrition