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This Gluten-Free 4th of July Cake is the perfect festive dessert! It’s a gluten-free and nut-free vanilla cake topped with sweet and fluffy buttercream and fresh seasonal berries!

4th of July Cake


Easy 4th of July Dessert

If you’ve tried my gluten-free cake recipe, you know it’s pretty darn epic. BUT, I’ve gotten a lot of requests for a gluten-free cake that is also nut-free. So, this cake is for you!

This Gluten-Free 4th of July Cake is an insanely easy recipe that makes the perfect 4th of July dessert or treat for any occasion. It’s fluffy, moist, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and finished off with a 3-ingredient buttercream frosting and fresh berries. 

Top it with your favorite fruit, clean sprinkles, and other naturally colored frosting flavors for a perfect grain-free cake recipe!Whether you’re headed to a BBQ or hosting a get together with your friends, this 4th of July cake is a dessert that everyone will love! 

Ingredients Needed:

Scroll down for the full recipe!

Cake:

  • Flour: our gluten-free flour blend is a combination of coconut flour and tapioca flour.
  • Baking Soda and Baking Powder:
  • Fine Pink Sea Salt: cuts the sweetness.
  • Eggs: our binding agent to help the cake hold its shape.
  • Applesauce and Honey: these two add moisture and sweetness to the cake.
  • Vanilla: adds flavor depth and a touch of warm sweetness.

Frosting:

  • Buttercream Frosting: we’re whipping up a super simple homemade frosting made with powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract.
  • Garnishes: I love to brighten it up with some festive 4th of july colors with raspberries, blueberries, and sliced strawberries.

How to Make This Gluten Free Cake Recipe

  1. Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and powder, and salt.
  2. Add wet ingredients: Add in eggs, applesauce, honey, and vanilla, then whisk until smooth.
  3. Bake and cool: Transfer the batter to a greased 8-inch round cake pan, then bake at 350ºF until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
  4. Make the frosting: With a hand mixer, beat butter until creamy, then slowly add in the powdered sugar. Whisk in vanilla, then mix for 8-10 minutes or until fluffy.
  5. Frost, garnish, and serve: Once the cake is cooled completely, top it off with frosting and fresh berries, then slice and serve!

How Do You Make a Gluten-Free Cake More Moist?

There are plenty of things you can do to make sure that your gluten-free cake comes out fluffy and moist, and never dry!

  1. Don’t over-measure the flour. When you’re measuring out your flour, I recommend spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off gently with your finger. This prevents it from getting packed in so you don’t end up with too much flour. Too much flour results in a dry cake.
  2. Use moist ingredients. The eggs, honey, applesauce, and vanilla all add moisture to this gluten-free cake. Don’t skip them!
  3. Don’t over-bake. Take the cake out of the oven as soon as it’s cooked enough that a toothpick comes out clean. If it stays in the oven too long, the moisture will bake out and the cake will become dry.
4th of July Dessert

Tips and Notes

  • Don’t swap the flour. Coconut flour is much more absorbent than other flours. The measurements in this recipe are designed for the types of flour used. If you switch them out, the texture will be off.
  • Sift the flour if needed to remove any clumps. We want the batter to be nice and smooth!
  • Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s good to go.
  • Cool the cake completely before adding the frosting. Add it onto a hot cake and it will just melt.

How to Store

Once frosted, your 4th of July cake will last covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. 

You can also freeze your cake, but I recommend doing so unfrosted. To freeze, cool completely, wrap tightly, then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw overnight, then frost and serve.

More Summer Desserts You’ll Love

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4th of July Cake

Gluten-Free 4th of July Cake

5 from 3 votes
This Gluten-Free 4th of July Cake is the perfect festive dessert! It’s a gluten-free and nut-free vanilla cake topped with sweet and fluffy buttercream and fresh seasonal berries!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

Cake:

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Dash fine sea salt
  • 5 eggs
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Easy Buttercream Frosting:

  • 2 cups organic powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup grass-fed butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Garnishes:

  • 1/3 cup organic raspberries
  • 1/2 cup organic blueberries
  • 1/2 cup organic strawberries sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • Grease 8 inch round pan with butter or avocado oil spray.
  • In a large bowl combine dry ingredients (sift if flour has clumps).
  • Add in wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
  • Pour cake batter into greased cake pan.
  • Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean,
  • Using a hand mixer, cream butter then slowly add powdered sugar and whisk to combine for 8-10 minutes.
  • Let cake fully cool before frosting.
  • Garnish with raspberries and serve!

Notes

Storing: Once frosted, your 4th of July cake will last covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze your cake, but I recommend doing so unfrosted. To freeze, cool completely, wrap tightly, then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw overnight, then frost and serve.
Keyword: 4th of july cake, 4th of july dessert, gluten free cake recipe
Course: Sweets
Method: Baking
Author: Lexi

How do you celebrate the 4th? What is your all-time favorite 4th of July festive meal?



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Comments

  1. Can’t wait to make this for the 4th of July!! If I wanted to make it a chocolate cake rather than vanilla, do you know the measurements of cocoa powder I would need to add, plus any additional liquid? Not sure if you’ve played around with chocolate cake, but I was thinking of changing it up!!

  2. This is so festive! GAH 4th of July always sneaks up on me. But I think I have the bandwidth to make this beauty! Thanks for the inspiration!

  3. this recipe is perfect for my dad who is gluten free! And so many topping options too 🙂

  4. This recipe looks wonderful. I have been looking for a less processed cake to make for my baby’s first birthday and was wondering if there is a good substitute for the honey since he hasn’t had that yet and we want to wait to add it to his diet.

  5. Another great recipe!!! I have made this several times and received rave reviews! I bake at 350F in my convection oven for 25 minutes and it comes out perfect!!

  6. EASY. FAST. DELICIOUS!! First of all let me say I NEVER bake. Never ever! But when I saw the pictures & recipe for the Classic Fourth of July Cake I decided to take a step into the baking world. My non-clean eating hubby laughed when I told him I was baking a “clean” cake for the party but I didn’t let that discourage me! The ingredient, aside from the organic powdered sugar, were things I always have on hand in my kitchen so that was a big plus as far as I’m concerned. The cake batter was a breeze to make and toss into the oven. I used a square pan so the finished product would be more of a flag shape for the Holiday. While the cake was baking I made the frosting. It took about 15 minutes mixing with a mixer to get a good white color. Don’t be afraid of beating it too long. I topped the cake with blueberries and strawberries laid out like the stars & stripes of our flag. Much to my non-clean eating hubby’s surprise MY cake was the first dessert to be devoured by all of the non-clean eating family & friends at our party!!! Hubby LOVED it!! He was so impressed! I’ll be making this cake again next week for a friend’s birthday and also plan to make it, minus the frosting, for a breakfast on the go type snack. The cake alone is that yummy! Thanks Lexi for providing this great recipe that proved I could actually bake something delicious!!

  7. looks delicious! And even though it’s for the 4th of July I think it can be used all summer!

  8. This looks amazing, Lexi! You are so creative and it shows, in your recipes! (Maybe it comes from your art teaching? 😉

  9. That looks scrumptious! Love the use of coconut flour–I might have to try making this next time I want a healthy cake 🙂