This one-bowl gluten-free strawberry cake is so easy to make! It’s moist and tender crumb makes it a favorite for birthday parties and other celebrations. Frost with cream cheese frosting or vanilla buttercream.
How to Make Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. Don’t rush this step. You want the baking powder evenly mixed throughout the batter. (If you’re using a stand mixer, fit it with the paddle attachment. It works well to combine the ingredients.)
- Add very soft butter and a little oil. Most of the time, you don’t want to bake with butter that’s too soft. Not this time. Use butter that’s squishable-y soft but not melted.
- Add milk, eggs, and strawberry Jell-O. This is a retro-style strawberry cake. The flavor comes from strawberry Jell-O. Be sure to use regular strawberry Jell-O, not sugar-free.
- Mix the batter until thick and fluffy. This takes about two minutes. And you don’t want to rush! At first, the batter will seem thin. After a minute of mixing, it thickens and gets fluffy.
- Divide between two greased pans. I prefer 8-inch cake pans because they make a high cake. But if you only have 9-inch cakes on hand, use them.
- Bake until set. This cake takes about 30 minutes to bake. It’s done when a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely. The cakes are very delicate when they first come out of the oven. Allow them to cool in the pan for five minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost when cool. To avoid a “baking fail”, wait until the cakes are completely cool to the touch before frosting.
FAQs: Easy Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake
Do I have to use Jell-O?
Yes. If you want this recipe to make a strawberry cake, you’ll need the Jell-O. I’m working on a recipe that doesn’t use Jell-O.
Is Jell-O Gluten-Free?
As of this post (5/2019), Jello is gluten-free. However, always check labels and contact the manufacturer if you have any questions.
Can I add strawberries to the batter?
Maybe. I haven’t tested the recipe with added strawberries. If you decided to try it, I would not add more than 1/2 cup mashed strawberries. More than that might overwhelm the batter and cause the cake to sink.
What’s the best frosting for strawberry cake?
I like cream cheese frosting and included my favorite recipe below. Fluffy vanilla buttercream also works really well. And, if you like chocolate-dipped strawberries, frost the cake with chocolate icing. Yum!
Other Gluten-Free Cake Recipes You’ll Love
Easy Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake
One Bowl Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake Recipe. Easy to make. Perfect for Birthdays!
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray
- 2 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, very soft
- 1/8 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 (3-ounce ) package strawberry Jello
- Cream cheese frosting or vanilla buttercream
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake
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Preheat the oven and prepare the pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
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Make the Batter. Mix together gluten-free baking flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl. Run the mixer for 30 seconds to combine the ingredients.
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Stop the mixer. Add softened butter and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until combined. The mixture will look crumbly, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer. Add milk, eggs, and strawberry Jell-O. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase mixer to medium-high and mix for two minutes.
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Bake the Cake. Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Spread batter evenly into pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
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Cool and Frost. Remove pans from oven and place on a wire rack. Allow cakes to cool in the pan for five minutes. Invert cakes onto the wire rack to cool completely.
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Prepare the frosting. Frost cooled cake. Store cake, covered, on the counter for up to three days.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
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Combine cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Beat on medium low speed until smooth. Stop mixer. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until smooth.
Recipe Notes
The Flour
For this recipe, I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. I have not tested this recipe with another flour blend. Using a different blend will affect the final cake.
The Butter
For the cake, be sure the butter is very soft. It should blend easily into the flour mixture.
Valerie says
I am so glad I came across your website! My daughter and I love strawberry cake so much but the pain that follows with eating gluten is not really worth the indulgence.
My question is: can this be portioned out into cupcakes?
Elizabeth says
Yes! This recipe can be made into cupcakes!
Retha says
Can this be baked in 9×13 pan?
Elizabeth says
Yes! This recipe works in a 9×13 inch pan.
Bridget says
Just put them in the oven as according to directions. Added 1/2 cup of dressy Strawberries. Only thing is the cakes have been in nine minutes they don’t look so high. It mixes just like you sId it would.
Sophie says
Are you supposed to make the jello before mixing it in or just putting the powder packet straight into the batter?
Elizabeth says
The powder goes right into the batter.
Bonnie Johnson says
My daughter has other allergies .can we use coconut milk in place of the milk .
Elizabeth says
You should be able to use coconut milk. However, I wouldn’t use full-fat. I think that would be too rich.
court says
Do you know how many cupcakes this recipe would make? do you think it would be the original 24 cupcakes? Im making a small smash cake for my son with this as well as cupcakes for about 40. I’m just trying to get an estimate of how many times i need to double the recipe.
Elizabeth says
I believe this would make between 20 to 24 cupcakes, depending on how much you fill each pan.
You’re making a smash cake? I believe that means someone is turning one! Happy Birthday to your son. (And happy day to you!)
Mari says
Can it be stored covered with the cream cheese frosting recipe used at the bottom?
Elizabeth says
Yes!
glenda turlington says
Can I use Almond Milk in lieu of regular milk?
Elizabeth says
I’m not 100% sure,as I haven’t tested it, but I believe that would work.
Faith says
I can’t wait to try this for my daughter as her best friend is Gluten free. If one used cherry jello would that change it to a cherry cake? Or just make everything awful?
Elizabeth says
That’ll work just fine! It will taste like cherry and not strawberry but if that’s okay with you, then you’re good to go. 😁
Melinda says
Help!!! I made this strawberry cake for my husband ‘s Birthday. It didnt turn out good. It was hard . I follower the direction. I’ve read some comments on cooking gluten free and they said you have to let the cake sit 20 or 30 minutes before baking . I didn’t let it sit . Please any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Elizabeth says
I’m not sure what you mean by “hard.” There’s no need to let this batter rest before baking. So no worries about that.
What type of flour did you use?
It might just be a little firmer than you’re used to with a wheat-based cake. Buttercream frosting softens cake. Perhaps that will help?
I’m sure we can get to the bottom of this!
Jennifer says
The same thing happened to my cake and it was tasty and amazing. The cake itself was amazing. The frosting was amazing. As days went on it went dry , drier in the inside. Like rock hard.
Elizabeth says
Hmmm….it sounds like it’s getting stale. How were you storing it?
Judy says
I have trouble using vegetable oil. Can I use olive oil?
Elizabeth says
As long as you’re okay with the flavor olive oil brings to a cake, it should work!
Dawn says
What are the little marshmallows you used for decorating and where is the recipe?
Elizabeth says
Those are Kraft’s mini fruit marshmallows. I snipped them in half and only used the pink and a few green. Hope that helps!
Sally says
Can I make this sugar free? I’d like to substitute swerve for the sugar, has anyone tried this?
Elizabeth says
Hi Sally,
I haven’t tested the recipe with swerve. If you do, let us know how it goes!
Arielle Arizpe says
I made this cake for my niece’s 7th birthday yesterday and it was absolutely perfect! I made the recipe exactly as written and it turned out exactly as I’d hoped. Thank you for sharing this! I’ll make it again and again!