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WeatZero® Gluten Free and a delicious vanilla cake

Classic Vanilla Cake

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This is the sort of cake you make when you want something deeply vanilla, wonderfully moist, and tender. It takes a bit of effort and care, but the result is absolutely worth it. It's my go-to celebration cake, now made gluten-free with WEATZERO®.
Shilpa | WEATZERO® | Oct 2025
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Hold Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 Slices
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Notes Ingredients Equipment Method

Notes

From Experience: Wins, Fails, and What Stuck:

Read the whole recipe first. Before you turn on the oven or crack an egg, read through from start to finish. This helps you spot things like "room temperature butter" or "let stand 10 minutes", so you're not caught off guard halfway through. It takes 2 minutes now and saves you from scrambling later.
Weigh Your Flour. Always use kitchen scales. WEATZERO® is crafted for 1:1 gram-for-gram swaps; cups aren't accurate enough for gluten-free blends.
No buttermilk? Make your own in 5 minutes. Pour 325gr (1⅓ cups) full-fat milk into a jug, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, stir gently, and let it sit for 5 minutes. It'll thicken and curdle slightly; that's exactly what you want. Use it straight away while it's still warm.
Don't overmix after adding the flour; gentle mixing keeps it light and soft. Once you can't see dry flour anymore, stop. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
Hold the mixture as instructed; this aids the Gluten-Free Millet Flour to hydrate and improves texture significantly.
Room temperature matters. Make sure your eggs, milk, and butter are at room temperature. Cold ingredients won't mix together properly and can lead to a denser cake.
Cool before frosting.  If the cake is even slightly warm, the frosting can melt or slide off instead of spreading smoothly. Letting it cool completely keeps the layers firm and the buttercream neat.
Baking one tin at a time? If your oven can't fit both tins on the same rack, bake them separately. Keep the second batch of batter on the counter at room temperature (up to 60 minutes is fine).
Pan Size Guide (2 Layers) This recipe works well in different pan sizes — just adjust the baking time slightly.
  • 2 x 20 cm (8") pans: Bake for about 30-35 minutes (as per recipe).
  • 2 x 23 cm (9") pans: Bake for about 27-30 minutes.

Ingredients
 

Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
  • ½ cup (125g) Unsalted Butter cubed - softened to room temperature but not melted
  • ½ cup (120g) Vegetable Oil ½ cup
  • 1½ cups (300g) Caster Sugar
  • 4 Eggs Large - room temperature
  • 2 tbsp Vanilla Extract -
  • 1⅓ cup (325g) Buttermilk - room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream
  • ½ cup (125g) Unsalted Butter - softened to room temperature but not melted
  • 2 cups (250g) Icing Sugar
  • 1½ tsp Vanilla Extract
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • 1-2 tbsp Milk - to adjust thickness if needed
Vanilla Cake Equipment

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Test your oven space. Place both 20cm cake tins on the middle oven rack. Check they fit with space between them. If not, you'll bake one at a time (see Tips).
  2. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional or 160°C (320°F) fan-forced.
  3. Grease two 20cm (8-inch) round cake tins and line with baking paper. Use solid tins, not springform or loose-base.
Mix Dry Ingredients
  1. Whisk together WEATZERO® flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Make the cake batter
  1. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat butter and oil on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds). Increase to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes until smooth.
  2. Gradually add sugar in a steady stream. Beat for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
  3. Scrape down the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium-high for 2 minutes until light and airy.
Add Dry Mix
  1. Turn your mixer to the lowest speed (1). Add ingredeints in this order:
    Half the flour mix → let it just combine
    All the buttermilk → mix gently until you can't see it
    Remaining flour → stop as soon as it's mostly mixed
    Use your spatula for a final gentle fold. A few lumps are perfectly fine; overmixing creates a dense cake.
Pour & Hold
  1. Divide batter evenly between tins (use scales for accuracy).
  2. Let the batter stand in the tins for 10 minutes before baking. This allows the WEATZERO® flour to hydrate fully for best texture.
Bake
  1. Slide both tins into the oven (or just one if you're baking in batches). Bake for 35-40 minutes. You'll know it's done when the top springs back when you press it gently, and a skewer poked into the center comes out clean or with just a crumb or two.
Cool
  1. Let the cakes rest in their tins for 3 - 5 minutes; this helps them firm up enough to handle. Don't leave them any longer, or condensation will build up underneath, creating a soggy, dense bottom. Run a butter knife around the edge of each tin to loosen any stuck bits.
  2. After about 3-5 minutes of cooling in the cake tins, it's time to turn the cakes out. Place a cooling rack on top of each cake tin. Using one hand on the rack and one hand supporting the bottom of the tin, flip everything over in one smooth motion so the cake is now on the rack, tin-side up. Carefully lift the tin away. Repeat with the second cake.
  3. Once the cakes are fully cooled, they are ready to be frosted
Make the Vanilla Buttercream
  1. Beat softened butter on high for 3 minutes until almost white and fluffy.
  2. Add icing sugar gradually, beating slowly to avoid a sugar storm. Once combined, beat on high for 3 minutes.
  3. Add vanilla and beat for 30 seconds. Add milk 1 tbsp at a time if too thick.
    WeatZero® Gluten Free butter and cream
  4. Use straight away or refrigerate for upto 2 days. If you've refrigerated it, let it come to room temperature and beat it again to restore the fluffy texture before using.
  5. Makes: Enough to fill and lightly frost 2 x 20cm cakes, or generously ice one single-layer cake
Assemble the Cake
  1. Place first cake layer on your serving plate. Spread with 1-1.5cm buttercream.
  2. Add second layer on top. Press gently to secure.
  3. Crumb coat: Spread a thin layer of buttercream over top and sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  4. Apply final layer of buttercream. Smooth with an offset spatula or knife dipped in warm water for a polished finish.
Serving Suggestions
  1. Classic Party: Rainbow sprinkles scattered on top
    Whole gluten-free vanilla cake with rainbow sprinkles, made with WEATZERO flour
  2. Fresh & Simple: Add berries, sliced fruit, or a few edible flowers. Keep it to 2-3 elements max.
    WeatZero® Gluten Free vanilla cake made better with some berries on top.
  3. Elegant Finish: Dust with icing sugar, cocoa powder, or edible glitter. Add toasted nuts or coconut flakes around the edge for texture.
Storage Recommendations
  1. Room Temperature: Unfrosted layers wrapped in plastic wrap, 2 days in an airtight container.
  2. Refrigerated: Frosted cake keeps 5 days. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
  3. Frozen: Wrap unfrosted layers in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting.
  4. Bonus: WEATZERO® cakes taste even better the next day, the crumb becomes more tender as the flour fully hydrates.

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