Gluten-Free Confetti Cake

Fluffy and moist gluten-free confetti cake. A soft vanilla layer cake filled with rainbow sprinkles with a light and tender buttery crumb slathered with homemade vanilla buttercream. Topped with more rainbow sprinkles, this is the perfect celebration cake!

As a kid born in the mid-80s, boxed funfetti cake defined my childhood. It was the cake to have at your birthday party. With us Millennials all grown up and having our own kids, funfetti cake is making a comeback. (Or did it ever really leave?)

Either way, this gluten-free confetti cake is a nostalgic nod to the 90's funfetti craze, a from-scratch recipe that results in the fluffiest, most tender cake of all. You can even make it into a single-serving, gluten-free vanilla mug cake!

Typically, confetti cake uses a white cake base-made with all egg whites-to let the colorful sprinkles shine, rather than a yellow cake, which uses whole eggs.

But there's more to sprinkle success than just color. You also need the right batter consistency to keep the sprinkles suspended throughout the crumb, instead of sinking into a brown blob at the bottom. For this gluten-free cake, I use three whipped egg whites for lightness and a single yolk. That one yolk hits the sweet spot: it helps maintain the ideal texture to hold the sprinkles in place and provides just enough fat to keep the crumb moist without weighing it down.

With gluten-free cakes, fat is crucial for moisture, but too much can compromise the cake's light, fluffy structure. This one-yolk tweak gives you both.

The best sprinkles to use for confetti cake are rainbow jimmies (the long skinny ones).

The color is vibrant and they typically won't bleed into the batter in streaks. That being said, some brands of rainbow jimmies can cause streaking. In her funfetti bake-off, Erica from The Pancake Princess found that rainbow sprinkles that have corn starch as one of the main ingredients made sprinkles less prone to bleeding.

Here's what I use (both labeled gluten-free):

• Chefs Select rainbow jimmies: these are my go-to favorites.
• Rainbow sprinkles: I also have tested successfully with these sprinkles.

I do not recommend using nonpareil rainbow sprinkles (the mini balls) as the dye will bleed when it meets the batter. Nor do I recommend the naturally-dyed sprinkles, as their vibrant color fades in the baking process. 

Key Recipe Testing Notes:

Whip the egg whites

Whipping the egg whites before adding them to the batter incorporates air into the batter. It works almost as a second leavener for the cake, creating a crumb that is softer and fluffier than one in which the egg whites aren't whipped. While it's important to whip air into the egg whites, take care not to overmix your egg whites, stopping just when they reach soft peaks.

I tested a version of this gluten-free confetti cake without whipping the egg whites, and while it was a suitable alternative, it was a bit less soft and fluffy than the version with whipped egg whites. So if you're rushed for time, go ahead and skip the whipping, adding the egg whites with the yolk. But, for the softest fluffiest crumb, take the time to whip and fold in the whites.

Use xanthan gum

In this cake, xanthan gum is not optional. For some of my cake recipes,  xanthan gum is not required but may help with a lighter fluffier crumb (like my gluten-free chocolate cupcakes and gluten-free vanilla cupcakes). This gluten-free confetti cake, however, relies on the xanthan gum. Without it, the cake will bake up dense and the sprinkles will sink to the bottom.

Start with Room Temperature Ingredients

Room temperature ingredients blend together better than cold, creating an emulsion that's key for trapping air into your batter. Here are some tips to quickly bring ingredients to room temperature. Room temperature is around 65-70°F, and I recommend using a thermometer to quickly check the temperature of my ingredients.

Recipe

Moist & Fluffy Gluten-Free Confetti Cake

yields: 1 6-inch layer cake

prep time: 45 minutes mins

cook time: 32 minutes mins

total time: 1 hour hr 17 minutes mins

This gluten-free sprinkle cake is so moist and fluffy, with a tender buttery crumb! The vanilla cake batter is filled with rainbow sprinkles and has a homemade vanilla buttercream in between the layers. This is the perfect gluten-free birthday cake, and is absolutely delicious.

5 from 16 reviews

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Ingredients

Gluten-Free Funfetti Cake

• ▢ 90 g (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour, different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour"
• ▢ 64 g (½ cup) Bob's Red Mill sorghum flour
• ▢ 63 g (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
• ▢ 37 g (¼ cup) Bob's Red Mill millet flour
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup (206 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 large egg, yolk and white separated, room temperature
• ▢ 2 large whites, room temperature
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon almond extract, leave out for nut-free version
• ▢ ½ cup (120 g) whole milk, room temperature
• ▢ ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream, room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup rainbow sprinkles, see note about kind

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• ▢ 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 4½ cups (540 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• ▢ 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 3-5 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt

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INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush three 6-inch cake pans lightly with vegetable oil or cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the sweet rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, millet flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• Using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl, starting on low speed and increasing to high speed until soft peak form. When the beater is pulled out a peak should rise and the very tip should fall. Set aside. (See note about skipping this step.)
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar over medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, add eggs yolk and vanilla and almond extracts, mixing until combined. Keeping the speed on low, slowly add the dry ingredients in three batches, adding the sour cream and milk in between, mixing until just combined.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold in ⅓ of the whipped egg whites to loosen the batter. Then carefully fold in the remaining whipped egg whites until almost combined. Fold in the sprinkles just until evenly distributed.
• Divide the batter among the prepared baking pans and use an offset spatula to spread evenly. Pick each cake pan up 1-2 inches and drop it on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake for 29-33 minutes until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the middle and a toothpick comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs. This cake will seem very light and airy in texture when gently pressed, so take care not to overbake it.
• Remove from oven. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then overturn the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. To do this, I place a large wire rack or sheet pan over the baking pan and, holding it together, carefully flip the cake to release. Peel off the parchment paper, then place a wire rack over the top, and carefully flip right side up.
• Once cool, make the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter over medium speed. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar to the butter, in 3 batches, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until smooth. Add the milk or cream, starting with just 2 tablespoons and adding additional milk or cream as needed, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Fold in a few drops of gel food coloring, if desired.
• Frost the cake. For a layer cake, spread ½ cup of frosting between each layer. spread a very thin layer of frosting on the top and side. This is the crumb coat to keep the crumbs off your final pretty frosting layer. Chill the cake for 15 minutes. Spread remaining frosting all over the cake, smoothing it using an offset spatula. Top with sprinkles. Slice and serve (see note)

Notes

Flour substitutions: 

I prefer to make my own gluten-free flour blend, which allows me to maximize flavor, texture, while using whole grain flours. For this cake, I started with the blend of flours I use in my gluten-free vanilla cake recipe: sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, and millet flour. After troubleshooting recipes, I've discovered variations in the coarseness of grind is one of the biggest pitfalls people have when baking gluten-free because it can affect how the flour retains moisture and bakes up. For all of these, I recommend Bob's Red Mill flours. 

SORGHUM FLOUR

Sorghum flour is a wholesome whole grain flour. With slightly sweet notes, sorghum flour adds flavor depth and helps creates a very moist crumb. 

• Sub in by weight: you can substitute gluten-free oat flour or Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. 

SWEET RICE FLOUR

Made from sticky rice, sweet rice flour is distinctively different than white rice or brown rice flour, and despite its name, it's not sweet. Sweet rice flour is the same flour used to make mochi, and as such, its stickiness helps to bind the cake together, creating chewiness like a classic cake recipe. I don't recommend substituting the sweet rice flour as I find it's essential to the recipe.

TAPIOCA FLOUR/STARCH

Tapioca flour adds chewiness and helps mimic the fluffiness of a classic cake. It adds just a bit more softness and loftiness to the crumb. 

• Sub in by weight: If you need to sub it out, I would recommend arrowroot starch, potato starch, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, or using equal parts more sorghum flour and sweet rice flour, by weight.

MILLET FLOUR

Millet flour is a neutral flour here to balance the others out so the cake isn't too moist or gummy. 

• Sub in by weight: I tested a version that replaced the millet flour with 12g more each of sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, and tapioca flour. This version is a suitable substitute (though I personally prefer the version with millet). You could also try subbing in light chestnut flour, brown or white rice flour, or Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.

If you'd prefer to use a pre-made blend, you can sub out all the flours by weight (254g) with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.

Sprinkles

The best sprinkles to use for funfetti cake are rainbow jimmies (the long skinny ones). Read more about the best types of sprinkles in the post above.

• Carnival rainbow jimmies: these are my go-to favorites and are naturally gluten-free.
• Rainbow sprinkles: I also have tested successfully with these sprinkles that are specifically labeled gluten-free.

Whipped Egg Whites

I tested a version of this gluten-free funfetti cake without whipping the egg whites, and while it was a suitable alternative, it was a bit less soft and fluffy than the version with whipped egg whites. So if you're rushed for time, go ahead and skip the whipping, adding the egg whites with the yolk. But, for the softest fluffiest crumb, take the time to whip and fold in the whites.

Slicing

This is a butter cake, so it’s best served at room temperature. For pretty slices, chill the cake for just 15-20 minutes before slicing, to firm up the frosting for easy slicing. Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature.

Storage

Freezing layers: Freeze the unfrosted until you're ready to frost. Wrap each cooled layer well in plastic wrap and slide the layers in freezer bags to prevent freezer burn. Set the frozen layers on a cooling rack at room temperature for about 1- 1.5 hours to defrost before frosting as normal. Or frost while frozen, then let it cool at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours before slicing. The frosting will firm up quickly, which makes it super easy to get a smooth frosting look, but more difficult to add sprinkles to the outside. 

Storing frosted: You can freeze the cake whole or sliced. Place the whole cake in the freezer for 1 hour until the outside is completely firm before wrapping it well in plastic wrap. Store it like this for up to 4 days, letting it sit at room temperature for 3 hours before slicing and serving. Alternatively, store any leftover slices in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating. 

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