Gluten Free Funfetti Birthday Cake

Gluten free funfetti cake on a white cake stand with a slice being removed.

5 from 1 vote

If you have a sweet tooth, then this cakes for you! This gluten free funfetti cake is a soft, fluffy gluten free vanilla cake packed full of colorful sprinkles that is layered and decorated with smooth vanilla buttercream frosting. Making it such a fun party or birthday cake.

Prep Time1

Cook Time25

Chill time30

Total Time1 55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: Servings

Calories: 427kcal

Author: Amanda

Equipment

3 8 inch cake pans

Ingredients

Ingredients for gluten free funfetti cake

400 grams unsalted butter room temperature.
300 grams sugar
6 large eggs room temperature.
400 grams gluten free all purpose flour + 1 tablespoon to coat sprinkles
3 teaspoons baking powder check that the baking powder is gluten free as some brands may contain gluten.
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if the flour blend already contains xanthan gum.
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
100 grams gluten free sprinkles Use rainbow jimmie style sprinkles, not smaller sprinkles known as nonpareils.

Ingredients for vanilla buttercream frosting

500 grams unsalted butter room temperature
800 grams powdered sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
60 grams gluten free sprinkles for decorating
food coloring (optional for decoration)

Instructions

How to make gluten free funfetti cake

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum in a medium-sized bowl and leave it aside.
In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or using a stand mixer, whip the sugar and butter together until they become smooth and fluffy. Scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed to ensure that it is all fully incorporated. (Creaming the butter and sugar will take around 3-5 minutes on high speed) It's ready when the mixture is pale in color, and it looks light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture until they are fully combined.
Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer, on a lower speed mix until it's thoroughly incorporated.
In a separate bowl, coat the sprinkles with 1 tablespoon of flour (This will help them keep their place in the cake batter and prevent them from sinking).
Pour the sprinkles into the cake batter and fold them in gently until they are evenly combined.
Set the bowl aside for 15 minutes to let the batter rest. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Divide the cake batter between the cake pans and spread it out evenly within the pan (weighing each pan can ensure that the cake batter has been evenly distributed).
Place the cake pans in the oven and bake for approximately 20 - 25 minutes. Insert a skewer into a cake after this time. If it comes out clean it's ready, if not leave it in slightly longer. Transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool.

How to make the vanilla buttercream frosting

Using a hand or a stand mixer, beat the butter on high speed until it becomes fluffy and lightens in color for approximately 5 minutes.
Then gradually add the powdered sugar into the butter a few tablespoons at a time until it's fully blended.
Pour in the cream, add the salt, and vanilla extract to the buttercream, then mix thoroughly until it becomes smooth and thick.
Add food coloring if desired, or if you only want to color some of the frosting like I did, remove some into another bowl and then add the desired food coloring.

Assemble the funfetti cake

Wait until the cakes have fully cooled before assembling.
If your cake happens to have prominent domes, you can use a serrated knife to trim them down, ensuring a flat top. However, in the case of these cakes, there's typically no significant dome, or it requires minimal to no leveling.
Position the first layer of cake on your cake stand or plate, and evenly spread about a quarter of the frosting layer. Next, delicately place the second cake and add another quarter of frosting.
Add the final cake layer to the top and use a little buttercream all over the cake to add a thin crumb coat. Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up slightly.
Add the remaining buttercream to the cake and spread evenly with an offset spatula. If you kept some buttercream aside for piping, add this to a piping bag with your preferred nozzle, then pipe on top of the cake. Finish by decorating with the sprinkles.

Notes

Recipe Tips

Tip #1: Always use room temperature eggs and butter when baking as when baking, as they blend more easily, contribute to a smoother batter, and ultimately result in a better-textured and more evenly baked final product.
Tip #2: Use jimmie-style rainbow sprinkles, not smaller sprinkles known as nonpareils, as they will disintegrate during the baking process. Always check the ingredients to be sure that the sprinkles are gluten free as some brands contain wheat.
Tip #3: If you want to be accurate when dividing the cake batter, you can use a digital scale and weigh each cake pan until they have an even amount of the cake batter.
Tip #4: If your cake happens to have prominent domes, you can use a serrated knife to trim them down, ensuring a flat top.
Tip #5: Insert a skewer into a cake to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, it's ready, if not, leave it in slightly longer.

Nutrition