Vegan Gluten-Free Funfetti Birthday Cake. This classic birthday cake is a kid’s dream. It is sweet, moist, light, fluffy and is sure to impress both kids and adults at any party. Both vegan and gluten-free so anybody can enjoy it!
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VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE FUNFETTI BIRTHDAY CAKE
Sprinkles are always super fun. This Vegan Gluten-free Funfetti Birthday Cake has got to be one of my favorite cakes I’ve made. Not only because of the classic birthday cake flavor I created, but the texture is fabulous. Gluten-free cakes tend to have nasty textures, but this one is fantastic.
I love a classic vegan vanilla cake but this funfetti cake is so fun and the perfect excuse to break out the sprinkles! I don’t really use sprinkles, maybe once a year, if even that. They are not healthy, but since it is such a rare, rare thing I would use, I don’t stress over those small things in life. Besides, it’s cake, not exactly health food to begin with.
This cake is everything a birthday cake should be. It is perfectly moist, sweet, light, tender, fluffy and doesn’t taste healthy or vegan or gluten-free, period.
It’s also cause for a mini-celebration as I recently hit over 100k followers, a little over 102k as of this morning. I never in a million years thought that many people would be interested in my blog and recipes, so thank you so much for the support.
My daughter helped me decorate some with the sprinkles, so that’s why they are a bit messy, lol. She was going just about insane waiting for me to finish the photos so we could slice it. I tested this cake both in 6 inch pans and 8 inch, which you will see in the photos. The 6 inch of course made the cake layers taller, but they didn’t cook through as well, so 8 inch is better and a more traditional size of layers.
Remember these Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes? Remember I said I was going to turn it into a cake? Well, when I got that request for a funfetti one around the same time, I knew it would be the perfect time to do it. I can’t even tell you how amazing it turned out! It took some adjusting of the ratios but it all worked out perfectly after a few trials.
VEGAN VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
THIS FROSTING. Y’all, this Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is to-die-for. It’s silky smooth, creamy, buttery, perfectly sweet and so easy to make, without using oil or butter. I used a combo of my Vegan Strawberry Coconut Butter “Buttercream” Frosting and Cashew Vanilla Frosting as inspiration. I’m not a huge fan of the flavor of coconut, yet I LOVE this frosting. The coconut flavor is very mild and it tastes freaking amazing. I rarely use powdered white sugar, but I added a small amount to help lend to that classic buttercream frosting taste and help with the structure. Remember, I want this cake to taste as close to traditional funfetti cake as possible, just healthier.
HOW TO MAKE A VEGAN FUNFETTI CAKE
For this super easy Vegan Gluten-free Funfetti Cake, you will need:
- blanched almond flour
- white rice flour
- potato starch
- baking powder
- lite canned coconut milk
- maple syrup
- vanilla extract
- vegan sprinkles
Since most sprinkles at the stores are not vegan, I found this Etsy shop called Sweetapolita, where this lady makes the MOST beautiful sprinkles I’ve ever seen in my life and she has a ton of vegan options.
EASY VEGAN FUNFETTI CAKE IN 1 BOWL
Seriously, this cake is ridiculously easy. The cake recipe is just 8 ingredients (+ salt) and the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is just 6 ingredients. The cake is all done in just 1 bowl too! If you have a go-to frosting you typically use for cake, then by all means, use it, but I’d highly encourage to try this one.
OTHER VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CAKE RECIPES
- Vanilla White Wedding Cake
- Easy Vegan Lemon Cake (6 Ingredients!)
- Cinnamon Caramel Bundt Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Chocolate Peppermint Cake
- Gluten-free Vanilla Cake
- Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake
- Gluten-free Vegan Cranberry Bundt Cake
- Cinnamon Cream Cheese Bundt Cakes
- Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes (not gluten-free)
Update: I’ve recently just made these as cupcakes and they are SO GOOD and fast. Listed in the directions now. I did a mini version of the frosting, but added yogurt too and turned it into a glaze more than a frosting. So good!
Vegan Gluten-Free Funfetti Birthday Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 1/2 cups (168g) blanched almond flour (See below NOTE)
- 1 1/2 cups (240g) white rice flour, I use Bob's Red Mill (brown rice flour does not work here, the white is crucial for structure and taste)
- 3/4 cup (120g) potato starch, not potato flour (THIS CANNOT BE SUBBED or the texture will be ruined)
- 4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups (400g) pure maple syrup
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) canned "lite" coconut milk, shaken first (highly recommend Thai Kitchen for best results, it's 100% creamy and never chunky)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoons (80g) vegan sprinkles
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM (This has a slight coconut taste. Use my regular buttercream below if you want it traditional.)
- 2 cups (460g) melted liquid coconut butter (this is simply pureed coconut)I highly recommend buying this instead of making your own, as it is much smoother. I recommend Maranatha brand or Dastony from Whole Foods. Make sure the only ingredient is coconut.
- 1 cup (240g) plant milk (I used "lite" coconut milk)
- 1 cup (320g) pure grade A maple syrup (grade B will make the frosting darker)
- 6 tablespoons (96g) RAW cashew butter (NO added oil)
- 8 tablespoons (60g) vegan powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla powder (I use this white powder instead of extract to keep the frosting whiter.)
- Use this frosting if you prefer a traditional style buttercream
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- This cake is best made the day of the party so it is moist and has the best structure, but will still be delicious if made the night before, just leave covered well at room temperature. The frosting can be made the day before, just remove it from the fridge an hour or so before needing to frost the cake.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly spray two 8 inch round cake pans (with 2 inch tall sides) and line with a round piece of parchment paper just on the bottoms. I used coconut oil nonstick spray. OR, to make as cupcakes, line 20 paper liners in a muffin pan.
- To a very large bowl, weigh each flour (zeroing out in between) and add to the bowl the almond flour, rice flour and potato starch. If you absolutely must use measuring cups, scoop the flours out with the cup and lightly pat down each flour making sure there are no gaps, then level off. Add the baking powder and salt and whisk really well.
- To the same bowl, add the syrup, milk and vanilla. Whisk again for at least a minute until it becomes completely smooth and thickens a bit. It is a thin batter, not a thick one. Stir in the sprinkles. Pour the batter evenly among the 2 pans. Give it a jiggle to smooth out.
- Bake both cakes on the same rack with a couple inches in between them for best results for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out totally clean. For cupcakes, they are done in 20-22 minutes. You don't want any wet batter. Should be clean, a couple of DRY crumbs are ok. Leave in the pan for 30 minutes (10 for cupcakes), no exceptions, or it can crack if removed too early. Place a piece of parchment paper on a cooling rack and invert it over the cake pan and flip the cake over and release. Leave to fully cool 1 hour.
FOR THE FROSTING
- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Otherwise, the coconut butter can harden if your other ingredients are cold. If your coconut butter is hardened, melt it to a complete runny liquid, like an oil consistency. Heat it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds and stir to get it thoroughly mixed and smooth, be very careful not to burn it.
- Add it to the food processor and quickly add the remaining ingredients. Process until completely smooth. It will be VERY runny at this step, but will firm up in the freezer. Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer for 20-30 mins until it's firm enough to whip.
- If it gets too hard, just let it sit at room temperature until it softens back up. Whip just a few minutes until fluffy. Spread a thick layer onto the top of the bottom cake, place the next cake on top and frost the top and sides as desired.
Notes
- It's crucial to use a superfine blanched almond flour because it is what makes the cake so moist and light and fluffy. I do not have luck with Bob's Red Mill, but love King Arthur, Honeyville, Wellbees, Nature's Eats, Heb brand (in TX) all work well.
- I tested this cake both in 6 inch pans and 8 inch, which you will see in the photos. The 6 inch of course made the cake layers taller, but they didn't cook through as well, so 8 inch pans yield a much better texture and a more traditional size of layers.
- Nutrition stats do not include frosting since different frostings are suggested. Nutrition based off of 12 slices. per cake slice (without frosting) based off 12 slices.
My little one is allergic to wheat and egg, so I made this cake for his 2nd birthday. It was delicious! Didn’t try the frosting since I just used regular buttercream but the cake was perfect and everyone was super impressed. Thank you so much! I’m keeping this one bookmarked for future occasions.
That is so amazing to hear!!
Can I eliminate the sprinkles and still have the cake turn out ?
yes
Hi
I wanted to surprise my daughter with cupcakes for Valentine’s Day. She is obsessed with sprinkles and I can’t wait to make a treat we can actually enjoy together!!!
I’m wondering if dark muffin pans would need an adjustment to the baking time.
Thanks! They look So perfect!
Hi Brandi,
I plan to make this cake for my mom’s birthday on Monday and I ordered the vanilla powder you recommended for future use, but it will not get here in time for me to use. Would using a clear vanilla extract work? I know they are imitation, but I’m just thinking of keeping the frosting as white as possible. Let me know!
Hi Ruth! Oh yes, clear vanilla is totally fine! Also, just wanted to mention that the buttercream above does have a coconut taste, so if you dislike coconut, I’d make my regular buttercream frosting instead. Let me know after you make the cake! Happy birthday to your Mom!
Thanks Brandi, I will! Another quick question. Do you weigh the 460g of coconut butter cold and then melt? Or do you melt it first and then weigh out 460 grams of the melted coconut butter? Want to make sure I get this right so that my frosting is not a mess. Thank you!
Hi Ruth, melt the coconut butter just enough so that it can be thoroughly warmed and smooth as you stir it. You don’t want to overheat it, but warm enough to where you can stir it and it will melt quickly to become a smooth runny consistency, then weigh it. Unless, if you already have a separate container of coconut butter that has already been mixed, you might be able to scrape it out from the container and measure it firm that way. If you are using a fresh jar from the store, you need to remove the lid and heat it briefly first. Hope that helps!
I live at 6,500 feet. Can anyone give me high altitude adjustments? Has anyone tried this recipe at high altitude?
I’m so sorry Sally, I don’t have any experience with high altitude baking. I think King Arthur has a guide online you can try googling, but with both vegan and gluten-free, it’s really going to be a challenge! I wish I could be of more help.
do you weight the ingredients in the measuring cup or place on the scale?
No, you don’t need to use measuring cups at all. Simply place the bowl on the scale, hit zero and then add the first flour. Hit the zero or tare button after each ingredient so you are measuring each with it starting at zero. Scales vary in how long they stay on before auto shutting off, so make sure to turn it off periodically if you don’t have all the ingredients ready to weigh right away, to avoid it auto shutting off in the middle of adding an ingredient.
Would this be considered something similar to a sponge cake? If not, which one of your cakes is similar to a sponge cake?
Thanks!
Do you think I could substitute almond milk for coconut milk? I have a friend allergic to coconut. Or do you have another possible substitute.
Hi! Sorry for just seeing this. No, definitely don’t do almond milk, your cake will end up much more dense. The lite coconut milk helps make the cake light and fluffy. You could try a creamy cashew milk instead. It will change the texture somewhat, but let me know if you try it.
This cake is a family favorite that we’ve had for many occasions. However, one of our family members has a coconut allergy, so I always use cashew milk. I don’t know what it would be like with the originally recommended coconut milk, but the cake is awesome made with cashew milk. I’ve also tried both the sprinkles Brandi recommends and other vegan sprinkles purchased on Amazon. Brandi’s recommended sprinkles were infinitely better!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Has anyone made this in 9″ pans? If so, I’d love to know how it turned out and any cooking tips about using that size. I’d also like to know if the recipe can be doubled without altering the amounts. Thank you!
Hi! The cake will be very short in 9 inch pans, so I really don’t recommend it. I’m confused at what you mean about doubling without altering the amounts? Doubling the recipe will be doing just that, doubling the amount. You could double the recipe but would need to use possibly two 8 inch square pans or a large 9×13 pan, not sure.
I’ve made this recipe many many times, and it is a family favorite! This weekend, I’m making a birthday cake for a chocolate chip lover. Although I know you have a chocolate chip cake recipe, I really like this cake batter, and I’m wondering if you think it would work for me to replace the sprinkles in this cake with mini chips.
My friend is allergic to any and all nuts. What can I use instead of the almond flour?
Hi there, I’m so sorry, but the almond flour is key to the texture, moisture and fluffiness of the cake. It simply will not work without it! You can make this recipe instead if she can have coconut and just add sprinkles. https://thevegan8.com/vegan-gluten-free-vanilla-chocolate-chip-cake/
Hi ! Can this be made into a single layer sheet pan?
If so what size would you recommend? We are having an engagement party for about 20 people and this sounds delish !
Hi! Yes, you should be able too. Just follow the written recipe and test it out first before the party to make sure it works well and don’t remove until a toothpick is clean from the center.
I want to make this for my sons first birthday. Can I reduce the amount of maple syrup? 1 1/4 cups seems like a lot of sugar. Thanks!
It’s not. It’s for a double layer cake. The liquid is needed for the right consistency. But if you want it less sweet, you could try replacing a couple of tablespoons with milk. Just keep in mind that it will change the texture since milk has fat in it and syrup does not.
Hi! Wonderful recipe 🙂 Did anyone tried freezing the whole cake? I have an event in 3 days and wanted to make it in advance.
Hi Tati, I have not tried freezing the cake, but I’m afraid it would really dry out because of the potato starch. Cakes made with large amounts of starch tend to dry out quicker, especially if freezing them.
Hi I was looking at this cake for my daughters 3rd birthday but she can’t have coconut (she has soo many allergens!). Can you make this cake with almond milk and achieve the same results?
You can try cashew milk but it may be less fluffy!
This looks great! Do you know if ut freezes well?
Thank you!
I’ve never tried freezing it, typically cakes with potato starch tend to dry out, but you can always test a few slices!
Hello what can I replace the maple syrup with that would give it a more neutral flavor. The maple syrup imparts a taste that i would prefer not having. The recipe is actually quite amazing. The texture and flavor is delicious. But to make it a true vanilla cake I would like to have a more neutral flavor if possible. I am amazed at this cake tho. Truly awesome.
Hi Maria, so glad you loved this cake! Yes, use agave instead. It imparts sweetness, but no maple flavor, so it will be a lot more neutral 🙂
To make this recipe even helthier i suggesting using sprinkles from SuperNatural Kitchen. They are soy, free, (the shop you suggested is not soy free) and they use plant based colours as artifical coloring is not only bad for health but has been shown to have behaviour impact on children being linked to ADHD and autism. Just sharing the love. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing! Yes, I prefer these because the sprinkles colors hold up beautifully in baking. It’s not something you’d be consuming very often or in large amounts since it’s a special occasion cake (like once a year for me), so I don’t worry about it and many people have no issues with soy. But for anybody who would prefer to avoid these, the natural sprinkles are a great option, yes!
Hi,
Is there a flour that you can use instead of almond flour? Can you just use double the rice flour? My daughter has food insensitivities to some nuts, especially almonds, so anything you think would still give it good texture, let me know!
Hi! No the almond flour is crucial to the moisture and texture. It won’t work here without it, so sorry! I do have this recipe though, you could add sprinkles too. It’s almond-free. https://thevegan8.com/vegan-gluten-free-vanilla-chocolate-chip-cake/
Just made this cake for my son’s birthday cake for the 3rd year in a row as a green (his favorite color) funfetti cake. He is a traditionalist, but this cake is THAT good! Thanks for all your recipes and insight!
Woohoo, love hearing that Sara!
This looks amazing! I want to make this for my son’s birthday. I don’t currently have my round cake pans with me. Can I make it in a 9 x 13 pan? I read a comment above from someone asking about doubling it and using a 9 x 13 pan, but I wasn’t sure if it would work without doubling. Also not sure if it would be tall enough like you were saying in the notes and other comments.
Hi! Sorry for the delay, I don’t think you’d need to double it, I would just try making it as the listed amounts. Doubling it would make too much batter I believe.
What is double acting baking powder is regular baking powder ok to use?
Yes, regular is fine!
This cake was amazing! I made this cake for my son’s birthday. It was my first time making a non chocolate vegan cake. It turned out great and the flavor was delicious! Both vegan and non vegan family loved it! I made it in the two 8 inch pans and made the traditional frosting and it was incredible! Thank you so much Brandi!! 😃
Woohoo, so so happy it was such a hit with everybody, thank you so much Samantha!