Name: Gluten-Free Birthday Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Gluten-free flour; 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder; 1/4 tsp Salt; 4 Eggs; 1 1/3 cup Sugar; 1/2 cup Butter; 1/2 cup Milk; 3 tsp Vanilla extract; 1/2 cup Sprinkles ((not nonpareils as they can bleed)); 2 sticks Butter; 1 lb Powdered sugar; 3 tsp Vanilla extract; 2-4 tbsp Milk; 1/4 cup Sprinkles ((not nonpareils as they can bleed))

If you’ve been looking for a fluffy and light Gluten-Free Birthday Cake, you've come to the right place! This cake is perfectly frosted and downright delicious. If it’s your birthday or the special day for someone close to you, this recipe is guaranteed to impress!

Celebration cake decorated with white frosting and colorful sprinkles, sitting on a cake platter with three lit birthday candles on top

This recipe adds a dash of fun with bright-colored sprinkles right in the batter. Funfetti! Does it get better than cutting a cake and finding confetti baked right in? I dare say it doesn’t. And if this is your birthday, dear baker, I say you deserve that added dash of fun. Okay, I guess everyone deserves an incredible birthday cake.

And this cake is that cake to celebrate the birthday boy or girl to perfection.

Why this Cake Is Special

Well, there are about a hundred reasons why I think this cake is perfect. But my family loves this cake. It’s become a true favorite around here because it’s fun, cute, and incredibly tasty. There’s something about the sprinkles in the batter that adds that dash of celebration that the birthday person deserves. While I love my classic gluten free cake, the extra sprinkles in this birthday cake take it to the next level.

Funfetti cake with three layers, white frosting between each and sprinkles through and on top. A separate piece is lying to the side on a plate. The full cake is blurred in the back ground.

I also love a good birthday cake. I love to make this cake even when it’s not my birthday or anyone else’s. Sometimes, you just need to celebrate on a random Tuesday.

Half-birthdays, anyone? Yes, please! July is also a perfect time to celebrate the half-birthday of anyone who has a birthday during the busy Christmas season like one of my kiddos.

What goes into this tasty treat?

With a few basic ingredients you have yourself and the birthday boy or girl a gorgeous, fun cake.

Gluten-free flour - Use the flour you like best. I prefer King Arthur Gluten-Free all Purpose flour, but any cup-for-cup should work well.
Baking powder - The magic little ingredient that makes your cakes fluffy.
Salt - Trust me, it's all in the science with this little pinch of salt.
Eggs - Just 4 of these hold the whole cake together.
Sugar - You will need regular, granulated sugar for the cake batter and powdered sugar for the frosting.
Butter - Same here. You'll use butter for both the cake and the frosting.
Milk - use the variety that speaks most to you. Even dairy free should work well.
Vanilla extract - Isn't amazing how a dash of this can bring all the flavors together?
Sprinkles - Be sure to use nonpareils so the color doesn't bleed into the cake and it looks more like confetti when you cut into the cake.

Ingredients for gluten free birthday cake measured out into various-sized clear and white bowls

How to Make Gluten-Free Birthday Cake

Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees and grease and flour 2 7 or 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.

Add: Into a bowl add all the dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder and mix everything together)

Cream: In another bowl cream together butter and sugar. Once they are well combined add in the eggs and mix again. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until they are well combined. Then add milk and mix again.

Add the vanilla extract and mix until just combined, don’t overmix your batter. Fold in sprinkles.

Six images of the process of making gluten free birthday cake, including: mixing dry ingredients in a clear bowl, mixing wet ingredients in a white bowl, combining wet and dry ingredients in a white bowl, pouring batter into a cake pan, image of baked cake, image of frosted cake with sprinkles

Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans. Smooth the batter evenly into each pan with the back of a spoon.

Bake the cakes on 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with only a few crumbs attached.

Cool: Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

How to Make the Frosting

Beat butter with a mixer for 3 minutes on high until it changes from yellow to almost white, and it becomes fluffy and creamy.

Add powdered sugar gradually, beating slowly, then once mostly incorporated, beat on high for a full 3 minutes until fluffy.

Add vanilla and milk, then beat for a further 30 seconds. Use milk only if needed. Fold in sprinkles.

Assemble: To assemble, stack the cakes, fill with buttercream, and spread a layer of cream on top.

Decorate with more sprinkles!

What If My Cake Comes Out Dry?

Gluten-free, as you know, can be a bit fickle. There’s a chance you may have overbaked the cake a little. That’s the fastest way to dry out a cake. So, make sure a few crumbs are still sticking to that toothpick when you test it. Just make sure there’s no liquidy batter clinging to the toothpick.

I love the texture and flavor of butter cakes like this one, but I know some struggle with them coming out moist enough. It can take some practice. But another way to help moisten up the cake would be to replace the butter with oil.

Another option is to make gluten free cupcakes. Because cupcakes are smaller, they stay moist a lot easier than larger cakes do.

A wide slice of gluten free birthday cake covering in white frosting and sprinkles on a flowered plate

A neutral oil will work best. If you do replace the butter with oil make sure you only use ¾ of the amount called for in the recipe. Sometimes oil can help make a gluten-free cake a bit more moist.

Storing Instructions

This cake freezes super well. Bake the cakes, wait for them to cool, and then place in freezer safe bags or containers. Freeze until you're ready to frost. This is a great way to make the cakes ahead of time!

When you’re ready to frost, just pull the cakes out of the freezer and let them come back to room temperature. You can freeze them for up to three months.

Top of a celebration cake decorated with white frosting and colorful sprinkles with a coral-colored cloth in the background

What if you have leftovers and need to store them? Well, if you happen to have any of this delicious cake leftover (unlikely), then you can store it in the refrigerator for up to three days in an airtight container. You can also freeze for up to three months with the frosting.

When you’re ready to eat the leftover cake, just allow it to come to room temperature and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

Chocolate frosting - Switch out the funfetti frosting for chocolate frosting for a twist. And if you’re in the mood for a dairy-free buttercream, check out this dairy-free chocolate frosting.
Dairy free - You can switch out the butter in this recipe for oil, like I mentioned above. Just make sure to only use ¾ of the recipe’s worth of butter. Also, replace the milk with your favorite dairy-free variety.
Remove the sprinkles - If you’re not a fan of sprinkles, then you can simply remove them! This won’t affect the recipe at all. It will still emerge utterly sensational.
Vegan - Follow the dairy-free variation above and replace the eggs with a chia or flax egg. The texture may not come out quite as light, so just be aware.

Celebration cake decorated with white frosting and colorful sprinkles on a white cake platter.

I hope you love celebrating all the birthdays with this amazing cake as much as I do. Happy baking!