This Gluten Free Birthday Cake is a delicious soft golden cake surrounded by layers of fudgey chocolate frosting. Perfect for any occasion, not just birthdays, it is simple to make and easy to assemble! Best of all, it’s gluten free, nut free, egg free and easily vegan!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk of choice, the light brown sugar, the vegetable oil and the vanilla.
Slowly add the milk mixture into the flour mixture and use a spatula to combine as it gets thick.
With a spatula, scoop half the batter into one pan and the other half into the other pan. Smooth the tops with a butter knife.
Bake both cakes in the center rack for 35 minutes.
Let them cool in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Once the cakes have cooled completely, cut them in half horizontally. Now you will have 4 thinner layers of cake. If the cake tops are domed, you can carefully cut the tops off to make them flat.
Make the Frosting
In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the butter or vegan baking stick until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
With the mixer on very low speed, slowly add in the confectioners' sugar.
With the mixer on low speed still, add in the cocoa powders.
Add in the vanilla and beat until combined.
While the mixer is on, slowly add in the water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. You may not need to use all the water.
Assembling the Cake
Separate the frosting into 5 equal sections.Place one layer of cake on the bottom of a cake plate/stand. Scoop ⅕ (about 1 cup) of the frosting on top and use an icing spatula to spread it around.
Place another layer of cake on top; repeat this same process. Do this with 3 layers of cake.
Once you get to the top layer of cake, place it bottom (or flat) side up so the top of the cake is nice and flat. Use an icing spatula to frost the top and the sides. You should have some frosting left over to pipe decorations if desired.
Put the remaining frosting into a piping bag.Make swirls all around the edge of the top of the cake. Sprinkle some gluten free/nut free/vegan nonpareils or sprinkles on top of the frosting swirls.
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Notes
Vegan: Use a dairy free gluten free flour, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks, non dairy milk and vegan sprinkles.All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease, but use 2 ¼ cups packed AP flour (378 grams).Storing: Once the cake is cut into, it’s best to cut the entire cake into slices and wrap each slice in foil and store in a zip top bag in the fridge. Eat extra slices within 2 days.When ready to eat, let the slices sit on the counter, in the foil for about an hour or until the cake is room temperature and soft. If you want to microwave a slice, do it in 5 second increments and be careful not to burn your mouth on hot frosting.Freezing: If not eating all the extra slices within 2 days, take the slices wrapped in foil and place in the zip top bag and freeze them. You can keep the slices frozen for up to 30 days.When ready to eat, put the slices in the fridge the night before or leave them out on the counter for 2 hours prior to eating or until the cake is room temperature and soft.Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.