This Gluten-Free Funfetti Cake brings all the birthday cake energy without the stress of stacking layers or fussing with piping bags. The crumb is buttery, velvety, and just a little denser than a classic vanilla cake in the best possible way. This sprinkles cake is kid-approved and family friendly.
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Skill Level: Beginner
Shortcut Central: Use store-bought vanilla frosting if you are short on time.
Allergy Watch: Gluten Free, Nut-Free
This kid-approved cake is especially popular for birthdays, Easter dessert tables, baby showers, and graduation parties because it slices beautifully and travels well. Pair with my gluten free homemade vanilla buttercream frosting.
Most gluten-free funfetti cakes lean either too fluffy and dry or too heavy and gummy. My version lands right in the middle with a buttery crumb that feels rich without being dense enough to weigh down the sprinkles.
After several rounds of testing, I landed on my favorite trick for creating that soft yet structured crumb. A mix of gluten-free flour blend and cornstarch mimics cake flour beautifully, giving this bundt cake a tender texture that still slices cleanly. I also slightly reduced the sugar compared to my gluten free vanilla cake recipe to offset the addition of the sprinkles.
Greek yogurt keeps the batter moist and helps balance the sweetness, while the bundt pan gives you bakery-worthy results without complicated decorating. One other important detail? Every single groove of the bundt pan needs to be thoroughly buttered. Gluten-free cakes are a little less forgiving when it comes to sticking.
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour: Use any 1:1 gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum, like Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure.
- Cornstarch: Mixing cornstarch with GF flour is my trick to making a gluten free cake flour. You can substitute with additional flour, but it has to be by weight!
- Butter: Use unsalted butter or reduce the salt added to the cake.
- Eggs: Use room temp eggs for the best texture.
- Greek Yogurt: Full-fat versions work best here. The extra richness keeps the cake moist for several days.
- Sprinkles: Use rod-shaped jimmies for the cake batter. Nonpareils tend to bleed into the batter and can leave muddy streaks instead of colorful bursts.
- Vanilla Extract: Or use an equal amount of vanilla paste.
How to Make Gluten-Free Funfetti Cake
A step-by-step visual guide for making gluten-free birthday cake. You can skip to the recipe for the full written instructions.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients Together
Whisking the flour blend, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda separately helps evenly distribute the leaveners before mixing. This prevents dense spots and keeps the crumb uniform.
Beat the Butter and Sugar
Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and noticeably lighter in color. This step creates tiny air pockets that help give the cake lift despite the heavier gluten-free flour blend.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Adding the flour mixture and yogurt in stages keeps the batter smooth and prevents overmixing. Gluten-free batters can become dense if beaten too aggressively once the flour goes in.
Add the Spinkles
Letting the batter sit for 10 minutes before baking gives the gluten-free flour time to hydrate. This simple step improves the texture and reduces grittiness.
Bake and Cool
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before unmolding. Too soon and the cake can break apart. Too long and condensation can make the edges stick.
Jen's Recipe Notes
- Room temperature butter, eggs, and yogurt create a smoother batter and more even bake.
- Tap the filled bundy pan lightly on the counter to remove large air bubbles.
- A digital thermometer is the most reliable way to check doneness. The center should reach 205 to 210 degrees F. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the final 15 minutes of baking.
- Let the frosting drip naturally over the curves of the bundt cake instead of fully covering it. The shape deserves to show off a little.
Make Ahead and Storing
Make Ahead: ake the cake up to 1 day ahead and store tightly wrapped at room temperature before frosting.
Storing: The frosted cake can be stored loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Freezing: Unfrosted cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil or place in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Funfetti Cake
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Ingredients
- 3 cups 1:1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum plus more for the pan
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a bundt pan, set aside. Be sure to get all the nooks and crannies of your pan as the cake will stick.1 cup unsalted butter, 3 cups 1:1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum
- In a medium bowl, whisk the GF flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.3 cups 1:1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, ½ cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat on medium until incorporated.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar, 4 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, beat until in incorporated. Add ⅓ of the yogurt and beat until incorporated. Alternate until both are used up. Add the sprinkles. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give a quick mix to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden and a tester comes out clean. (205 to 210 F degrees).
- Set the cake on a cooling rack. Carefully run an offset spatula or table knife around the center of the pan to loosen the cake. Cool for 20 minutes, then unmold and fully cool.
- Decorate the cooled cake with buttercream and additional sprinkles.Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- bundt pan https://amzn.to/4tX4Dwt
Notes
- Sour cream can be substituted for yogurt.
- Additional GF flour or almond flour can be used in place of the cornstarch but the cake will be denser.
Nutrition
Recipe Questions
I don't recommend a dairy free version of this confetti cake. Instead, make my dairy free gluten free yellow sheet cake and stir in a ½ cup of sprinkles.
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