This Vegan Gluten-Free Funfetti Birthday Cake promises the joy of funfetti with classic and irresistible flavors! Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply indulging in a sweet treat, this perfect combination of vegan and gluten-free ingredients will delight your kids and bring out the inner child in all of your guests.
With step-by-step photos and troubleshooting tips, making this stunning allergen-friendly masterpiece is as easy as it is craveworthy!
What is Funfetti Cake?
Funfetti cake is a white cake with rainbow sprinkles baked into the batter for a colorful, confetti effect. It's the perfect celebration cake for birthdays and other parties. Because rainbow sprinkles are often sold in seasonal or holiday colors, this recipe literally 'takes the cake' for a variety celebrations.
In addition to making this recipe as a vegan gluten-free birthday cake, we also use seasonal sprinkles to make Christmas Funfetti Cake, Fourth of July Funfetti Cake, and Halloween Funfetti Cake! Feel free to get creative for other Holidays with themed colors like Saint Patrick's Day.
It's safe to say that we enjoy this colorful vegan gluten-free funfetti birthday cake year round!
For more shareable vegan gluten-free desserts, check out my Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake, Dairy Free Brownies, Vegan Gelato, and Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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How to make it (with photos)
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
Since this vegan gluten-free funfetti cake is made entirely from scratch, I included ingredients for both the faux "cream cheese" style frosting frosting and the light and fluffy cake! Fortunately most of the ingredients overlap. The only extra ingredient you need for the frosting is confectioner's sugar.
Vegan Buttermilk
- Plant-based Milk - Any unsweetened plant-based milk will work fine for our vegan buttermilk. Buttermilk is a thick, creamy milk that is more acidic than regular milk. The extra acidity activates the baking soda and baking powder, and is therefore excellent for helping baked goods rise. To make a vegan version, we use any unsweetened plant-based milk and add vinegar for extra acidity. We used almond milk in our trials. Oat milk, hemp milk, soy milk, and coconut milk will all work well.
- Vinegar - I like to use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. In a pinch, you could use lemon juice or rice vinegar.
Wet Ingredients
- Unsalted vegan butter - I like the unsalted vegan buttery sticks from Earth Balance. If using salted butter, cut the added salt down by half.
- Coconut Cream - Coconut cream is the solid part of a can of coconut milk. Some brands, like Thai Kitchen, sell cans labeled "coconut cream" that have more cream than a standard can of full fat coconut milk. Both of these work great and you want to use the solid part only.
Pro Tip: If the solid and liquid parts are not clearly separated, refrigerate the coconut milk for 30 minutes or until they are easily separated. If you shake a can of full fat coconut milk or coconut cream and you do not hear liquid sloshing around, that's a good sign that the liquid and solid parts are separate already. - Almond extract - Almond extract is not necessary but it does make this gluten-free funfetti cake extra special! All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour can be a little bland, and the extracts give this cake flavor. You can replace the almond extract with more vanilla extract if you do not have it on hand.
Dry Ingredients
- All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour - In different recipe trials, I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour and also Pamela's Gluten-Free Flour. Pamela's has a texture that is more like traditional cake flour and requires little or no sifting for a smooth cake batter. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour is more like regular All Purpose Flour. Both work fine in this recipe.
- Starch - You can use potato starch or cornstarch. These starches serve as our "egg replacer" and help to create that slightly crisp and shiny outer layer that is created by eggs in non-vegan baked goods. I do not recommend substituting tapioca flour or other starches since they behave slightly differently. In a pinch, if you don't have starch, substitute more all purpose gluten-free flour.
- Gluten-free baking powder - Rumford and Clabber Girl are safe gluten-free brands in the USA.
Frosting
- Coconut Cream - Vegan cream cheese can be hard to find so we substituted coconut cream in our vegan 'cream cheese' frosting. To use vegan cream cheese, replace the ½ cup of coconut cream with ½ cup (4 ounces, 112 grams) of vegan cream cheese. The frosting texture may be a little thicker; if so, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of water or plant-based milk until you have a texture you like.
For another tasty variation, try this vegan gluten-free funfetti cake with vegan chocolate frosting!
See the recipe card for full ingredients and quantities.
Equipment
Here's what we used to make this incredible Vegan Gluten-Free Funfetti Birthday Cake:
- Metal Half-Sheet Baking Pan, 12 x 17 inches
- Large Whisk
- Large and Medium Mixing Bowls
- Electric Mixer - either a hand mixer with traditional beaters or a standing mixer with paddle attachment
- Large silicone spatula
Step-by-Step Instructions
This Vegan Gluten-Free Funfetti cake has bakery-style flavors and textures and is also easy to make!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) and line a half baking sheet (12 x 17 inches) with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper on the bottom and sides.
- Vegan Buttermilk: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the plant-based milk and vinegar. Stir together and set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the butter in the microwave until mostly melted but not hot. Then combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat together until smooth light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the coconut cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, starch, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk together well.
- Make the batter: Begin adding the dry ingredients and vegan buttermilk to the butter and sugar mixture in increments. Add about ⅓ of the flour and milk, then mix until just combined. Continue until all milk and dry ingredients have been incorporated and be careful not to over-mix. I like to switch to a silicone spatula and mix by hand to prevent over-mixing. It is ok to have small flour lumps in the batter. Gently stir in the sprinkles.
- Bake: Evenly spread the cake batter into the prepared pan using a silicone spatula. Depending on the gluten-free flour blend used, the batter may be thicker or thinner -- in all cases, the cake turned out great! Bake at 350 degrees F (175 C) for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan or frosting.
- Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and coconut cream until smooth. Then add the vanilla extract and salt and mix together thoroughly. Begin adding the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix until smooth. Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, spread the frosting over the cake in an even layer and decorate with additional rainbow sprinkles.
Storage
Since this recipe makes so much cake, it's really important to store it properly so you get the most out of your hard work and ingredients!
Here are the best ways to store vegan gluten-free cake:
- Refrigerator: Store leftover cake in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. However, you want to wait to cover the cake with a lid or plastic wrap until the frosting is dry to the touch. The frosting should compress when you push on it, but little or no frosting residue should be left on your finger when you cover the cake.
- Room Temperature: This cake can stay out at room temperature for up to 24 hours before it begins to dry out.
- Freezer: To freeze this cake, place uncovered in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. At this point, the cake is soft enough to cut into pieces but solid enough for a clean cut and won't stick to the other pieces of cake when stored in layers. Cut the cake in pieces and store in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 4 months.
Expert Tips
Read these four tips to get the best vegan gluten-free birthday cake on the first try!
Sift your gluten-free flour and starch.
If you want professional results, sift your flour and starch first. This helps to prevent overmixing while still providing a smooth cake batter.
Measure by weight.
Kitchen scales are easy to use, affordable, and cut down on dishwashing and prep time! If you haven't started using one, I highly recommend it for even the most casual baker. Measuring by weight is most likely to give you a vegan gluten-free cake that turns out just like mine.
This is especially important for gluten-free baking where there are so many different flour blends with slightly different grain size. We measured the two gluten-free flours we used for this recipe first by weight and then by cups, finding that they differed by about ¼ cup for 475 grams of flour.
Make more than you need and freeze the extra.
This is really an expert gluten-free living tip 😉 We make this recipe as the full sheet pan (it's a lot of cake), then freeze one-third to one-half of it before serving the rest to guests.
If you present it already cut into slices on a serving plate and include edges, corners, and center pieces, no one will ever know!
Watch for signs of over-mixing.
While you can't reverse over-mixing, seeing these signs can be a good indication that you need to mix the cake as little as possible for the remaining time. Or it can help you troubleshoot this recipe for future baking.
The following signs indicate that a cake batter was over-mixed:
- There are no flour lumps left in the batter in the final stages of mixing.
- The batter gets thick and sticky.
- Your cake rises nicely and then falls while cooling. Often, the edges still have a good rise but the center appears sunken.
- The final texture of the cake is sticky or glue-y.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this vegan gluten-free funfetti cake. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Most gluten-free flours labeled "all purpose" will work just fine in this recipe. I prefer the gluten-free flours that are meant as 1-to-1 replacements for regular flour because they include xanthan gum or guar gum which replace the gluten (but they are not necessary in this particular recipe). These flours are also usually rice flour blends that have the most similar taste and texture to traditional flour.
I do not recommend using almond flour or coconut flour as a replacement since they behave differently.
We only trialed this recipe with vegan butter. However, we regularly substitute coconut oil for vegan butter in our other baking recipes. To do this, use ¾ cup of coconut oil and ¼ cup of water or milk for each cup of butter in the recipe.
I can't speak to the effect of using an oil that is liquid at room temperature because I have not tried it myself.
You can use all purpose flour in place of the gluten-free flour. Our neighbor tried this recipe for us using traditional flour and she said it turned out great!
Related vegan gluten-free baking recipes to consider...
Looking for more dessert recipes that are vegan and gluten-free? Try these other fan favorites!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the comment field or recipe card below. Thank you!
Vegan Gluten Free Funfetti Birthday Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Buttermilk
- 1 ¾ cups unsweetened plant-based milk (415 ml)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted vegan butter at room temperature (1 cup, 225 grams)
- 2 cups sugar (400 grams)
- ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar (65 grams)
- 1 cup coconut cream (230 grams)
- 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose gluten-free flour (475 grams)
- ¼ cup potato starch or cornstarch (40 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¾ cup vegan and gluten-free rainbow sprinkles (140 grams)
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted vegan butter at room temperature (112 grams)
- ½ cup coconut cream* (115 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar (500 grams)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) and line a half baking sheet (12 x 17 inches) with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper on the bottom and sides.
- Vegan Buttermilk: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the plant-based milk and vinegar. Stir together and set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the butter in the microwave until mostly melted but not hot. Then combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat together until smooth light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the coconut cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, starch, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk together well.
- Make the batter: Begin adding the dry ingredients and vegan buttermilk to the butter and sugar mixture in increments. Add about ⅓ of the flour and milk, then mix until just combined. Continue until all milk and dry ingredients have been incorporated and be careful not to over-mix. I like to switch to a silicone spatula and mix by hand to prevent over-mixing. It is ok to have small flour lumps in the batter. Gently stir in the sprinkles.
- Bake: Evenly spread the cake batter into the prepared pan using a silicone spatula. Depending on the gluten-free flour blend used, the batter may be thicker or thinner -- in all cases, the cake turned out great! Bake at 350 degrees F (175 C) for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan or frosting.
- Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and coconut cream until smooth. Then add the vanilla extract and salt and mix together thoroughly. Begin adding the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix until smooth. Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, spread the frosting over the cake in an even layer and decorate with additional rainbow sprinkles.
Notes
- Refrigerator - Store leftover cake in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. However, you want to wait to cover the cake with a lid or plastic wrap until the frosting is dry to the touch. The frosting should compress when you push on it, but little or no frosting residue should be left on your finger when you cover the cake.
- Room Temperature - This cake can stay out at room temperature for up to 24 hours before it begins to dry out.
- Freezer - To freeze this cake, place uncovered in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. At this point, the cake is soft enough to cut into pieces but solid enough for a clean cut and won't stick to the other pieces of cake when stored in layers. Cut the cake in pieces and store in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 4 months.
Cora
WOW! This is an incredible cake. Even my family members who don’t eat vegan and gluten free loved it. It’s flavorful, has a real soft cake texture, and the frosting is super creamy. We made it for a birthday party and it was a hit! We’ll be making it again.
Jamie
I'm so glad you loved it Cora! Thanks for being the first to leave a comment 🙂
Jamie
I'm so glad your family enjoyed it! Thanks for the review 🙂