Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: It’s party time! Our Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake Recipe is a much-requested gluten-free version of our Best-Ever Vanilla Birthday Cake. This new recipe incorporates our Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix, which makes a cake so moist, tender, and luscious that it just might become your family celebration go-to dessert!

• A birthday cake for all: Our Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix replaces regular wheat flour in this recipe. Our two-ingredient mix makes gluten-free baking foolproof, creating a moist cake with a fine and tender crumb.
• It looks fancy, but it’s no-fuss: This almond flour cake recipe takes just over an hour to make and can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen.

Our Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix is a foolproof way to make baked goods as moist and flavorful (if not more!) than those made with all-purpose flour. Try this mix in our other recipes, including Gluten-Free Almond Flour Brownies Recipe, Healthy Almond Flour Muffins Recipe with Applesauce, Almond Flour Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Almond Flour Banana Bread!

Table of Contents

• What is Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake Recipe?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake Recipe
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Can I Make this Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake in Advance?
• How to Store Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake Leftovers
• FAQs
• More Vanilla and Yellow Cake Recipes

What is a Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake Recipe?

• Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake is type of cake that gets its color and flavor from eggs and butter. It’s moist and tender and has a rich buttery taste.
• This recipe is a gluten-free adaptation of our Best Ever Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipe. Almond Flour Baking Mix replaces regular cake flour.
• To compensate for this cake’s lack of gluten, small pieces of cold butter mixed into the dry ingredients and egg whites in the batter give the cake structure while keeping it tender, light, and moist.
• Cakes were part of celebrations in ancient times–Greeks and Romans enjoyed simple cakes made from honey and dried fruit. Cakes were mainly reserved for religious celebrations until the rise of the wedding cake in the Victorian era. Birthday cakes became a staple in the 20th century, and with our Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake Recipe, everyone can enjoy a slice!

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Whisk
• Stand mixer with paddle attachment (optional) or electric hand mixer
• Silicone spatula
• Three 6-inch cake pans
• Parchment paper
• Cake tester
• Wire racks
• Offset spatula

Key Ingredients

• Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix

  • Our gluten-free mix is made from ground, blanched almonds and tapioca flour (tapioca starch).
  • This almond flour gives the cake moisture and tenderness, and the tapioca flour provides structure.
  • Almond flour, made with almonds without skins, differs from almond meal, which is coarser.

• Egg and egg white

  • Egg yolks give the cake its characteristic yellow color and contribute to its rich flavor.
  • The fat and emulsifiers in egg yolks help create a tender and moist texture in the cake.
  • Both egg yolks and egg whites provide proteins to bind the ingredients together, giving the cake structure and preventing it from falling apart.
  • The egg whites also help the cake rise during baking.
  • I recommend using large eggs in our recipes.

• Whole milk

  • Whole milk’s milk-fat content of around 3.5%-4% gives the cake rich flavor and moisture.
  • Additionally, the protein in whole milk contributes to the structure of this gluten-free cake.

• Vanilla extract

  • Vanilla extract’s warmly sweet, floral notes accentuate the almond flavor.
  • Learn how to make your own vanilla extract, and you’ll always have high-quality vanilla on hand for baking.

• Granulated sugar

  • Sugar sweetens the cake and adds moisture.
  • Additionally, sugar contributes to the cake’s signature browning through caramelization and also through the Maillard Reaction between the proteins and sugars.

• Baking powder

  • Baking powder is the leavening agent, giving the cake a controlled rise and a consistent structure.
  • You’ll always have baking powder on hand when you learn How to Make Baking Powder and Baking Soda!

• Salt

  • Salt brings out the flavors in the cake.

• Unsalted butter

  • This recipe uses small chunks of cold butter.
  • When cold butter is combined with almond flour and other dry ingredients before being mixed with wet ingredients, it creates pockets of air, which helps the cake rise and gives it a lighter texture.

• 1 recipe Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• Sprinkles (optional)

  • A generous coating of sprinkles makes this cake extra special!
  • Make your own sprinkles, or use store-bought.

How to Make Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake Recipe

• Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line three cake pans with parchment paper.
• Make the batter:
  • • Make the wet mixture: In a large jug, whisk egg whites, whole egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
    • Make the dry mixture: In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, combine Almond Baking Mix, sugar, baking powder, and salt at low speed for one minute.
  • Add the cold butter and continue to combine until the mixture has a fine, crumbly texture.
  • Increase to medium speed and add the liquid ingredient mixture in two parts. Mix until fully combined.
• Bake the cake:
  • Divide the cake batter evenly between the three cake pans.
  • Bake for 25-35 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let cakes cook in their pans for 20 minutes, and then turn cakes out onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
• Assemble and frost:
  • If your cakes are domed, use a serrated knife to slice the domes off.
  • Place a cake layer on a serving plate and top with one-half cup (6 oz/170 g) of buttercream. Spread evenly to edges.
  • Gently stack and fill the next cake layer.
  • Top with the third cake layer, and cover the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting (this is the “crumb coat”).
  • Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.
  • Frost the entire cake with a thick layer of buttercream. Decorate all over with sprinkles. It’s perfect as-is or served with ice cream, whipped cream, and berries.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Be very careful not to overbake this cake. Check it at 25 minutes to see how it is doing, and judge the timing from there.
• Almond flour makes this cake delicate. Let the cake layers cool for a full 20 minutes before removing them from the pan.
• Be sure that your cake layers are thoroughly cooled before frosting them.
• To emphasize the almond flavor in the cake, you can replace the vanilla extract with 1½ teaspoons of almond extract.

Can I Make this Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake in Advance?

• Bake cake layers and keep at room temperature: Individually wrap the layers in cling film and store at room temperature for up to two days.
• Bake the cake layers ahead and refrigerate: Individually wrap the layers in cling film and keep them in the fridge for up to three days.
• Bake cake layers ahead and keep in the freezer:
  • Individually wrap the layers in cling film, and then place the layers in a freezer bag for additional protection. Freeze for up to two months.
  • To defrost the layers if frozen, leave them wrapped on the counter for one to two hours.

How to Store Vanilla Almond Flour Yellow Cake Leftovers

• Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to one day.
• You can also store it well-covered for up to three days in the fridge.

FAQs

• How do I ensure my cake has a great texture?

  • Do not over-mix the batter, as this can cause the cake to be flatter and dense.
  • Rotate the pans while baking to avoid over-browning.
  • Over-baking the cake will dry it out. Start checking the cake for doneness after 25 minutes.

• Can I make this cake without egg?

  • Yes! Whipped aquafaba, the liquid leftover from cooked chickpeas, is a vegan egg white substitute. And don’t worry–aquafaba won’t add a bean taste to your cake!
  • Two tablespoons of aquafaba are equivalent to one egg white.
  • Please see my post, The Complete Guide to Aquafaba, for more details on using this egg-white substitute.

More Layer Cake Recipes

• Best-Ever Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Incredible Chocolate Cake Recipe with Fudge Frosting
• Vertical Lemon Cake Recipe
• Classic Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe
• Incredibly Moist Coconut Cake Recipe

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