6 Inch Cake Recipe (Gluten Free Option)

This 6 inch cake is the perfect size for a small celebration and can easily made into a 3-tier cake. It’s delicious and fluffy, and I use it often when I need a gluten free mini birthday cake for friends or family. Can easily be made dairy free as well!

Why You’ll Love This 6-Inch Vanilla Cake Recipe

My daughter just turned 5 and this year, we decided to have a small celebration with just our small family 4. I still wanted to carry on the tradition of making her cake from scratch, so I decided to bake a smaller 2-tier 6 inch cake. It turned out so fluffy and delicious, and you can even turn it into a funfetti cake with sprinkles if you wish!

All the ingredients for this mini cake are fairly simple and the cake comes together quickly and easily. The creamy buttercream frosting keeps the cake moist and tender, and we’ve been enjoying it all week.

Here’s a Short Video of This Recipe

Ingredient Notes

Cake

• butter: Make sure it’s melted then cooled, so it doesn’t cook the eggs while mixing.
• avocado oil: Or any neutral flavored oil
• eggs: Use room temperature eggs
• granulated sugar
• milk: Any milk will work. I’ve used regular whole milk and almond milk, and both turned out wonderful.
• vanilla extract
• gluten free all-purpose flour: Use gluten free flour with xanthan gum – I like Bob’s Red Mill. If you are not gluten free, you can use regular all-purpose flour.
• baking powder
• sea salt
• sprinkles: Sprinkles are optional but a fun addition if you want to turn this small vanilla cake into a funfetti cake. I used naturally dyed sprinkles, so the colors bled a bit. I recommend using regular rainbow sprinkles.

Buttercream Frosting

• butter: Use softened butter at room temperature.
• milk: At room temperature
• vanilla extract
• sea salt
• powdered sugar
• food coloring: If you want to decorate with different colored frosting, you can use food coloring dye the frosting.

Step-by-Step Instructions

You’ll need two 6-inch cake pans for this recipe. Line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the sides with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Expert Tips

• You can easily make this dairy free by using, vegan butter and dairy free milk. It’ll still turn out delicious!
• Either salted or unsalted butter will work in both the cake and the frosting.
• There’s enough buttercream frosting to frost the entire cake, plus enough to decorate it if you wish.
• Make sure to cool the cake completely before frosting. If you aren’t frosting right away, you can store the cake layers in the fridge overnight, each layer wrapped tightly in a plastic wrap. Once frosted, let it sit at room temperature before slicing and enjoying.
• This is a 2 tier cake, but you can easily make this 1 tier or 3 tier. Each layer is 6 servings, so adjust the serving size to how many layers you want (6 servings for 1 tier, 18 servings for 3 tiers).

Storage Tips

• Once frosted, you can store at room temperature covered for 3-4 days. The frosting will keep the cake tender and moist. You can also refrigerate for up to a week.
• You can also freeze frosted or unfrosted cake.
  • Once frosted, cut into slices, then freeze on a baking sheet overnight. The next day, wrap each slice in a plastic wrap then freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Wrap each unfrosted cake layer tightly in a plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months. You can frost frozen or defrosted cake.
• Unused buttercream frosting can be stored in an airtight container for a week. Whip before using to fluff it up again. You can also freeze for up to 3 months. Place in a resealable bag, or if using a freezer safe container – place a parchment paper on top to keep from ice crystals from forming. Defrost in the fridge, then re-whip before using to frost.

More Cake Recipes

• Allergen Free Smash Cake
• Chocolate Cake Recipe with Chocolate Ganache
• Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

6 Inch Cake Recipe (Gluten Free Option)

This 6 inch cake is the perfect size for a small celebration and can easily made into a 3-tier cake. It's delicious and fluffy, and I use it often when I need a gluten free mini birthday cake for friends or family. Can easily be made dairy free as well!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Keyword: 6 inch cake, mini cake, small gluten free cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 485kcal

Video

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 1/4 cup avocado oil or any neutral flavored oil
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup milk of your choice at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum, or regular all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup sprinkles if using

Buttercream Frosting – frosts the whole cake, plus more for decorating

• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• 1½ tbsp milk of your choice at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 3½ cups powdered sugar spooned and leveled
• Food coloring of your choice optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line 2 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease the sides.
• Combine butter, oil, eggs, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer or a whisk to beat until combined.
• Add flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Beat slowly until just combined.
• Fold in sprinkles, if using.
• Divide into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 42-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 20 minutes, then remove from the pans and transfer to a cooling rack.
• Cool completely before frosting. If not frosting right away, you can wrap the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
• Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric mixer, add all ingredients for the vanilla buttercream frosting.
• Whisk on low speed until everything is combined, then switch to the highest speed for 8-10 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. The frosting should be smooth and creamy. Add food dye to color the frosting however you like.
• If you cake layers are domed on the top, you can use a use a sharp serrated knife to trim the dome to level out the layers. Spread an even layer of frosting in between the two cake layers. Frost the cake however you like!

Nutrition Facts

6 Inch Cake Recipe (Gluten Free Option)

Amount Per Serving (1 serving – makes 12)

Calories 485 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 15g94%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 88mg29%

Sodium 336mg15%

Potassium 87mg2%

Carbohydrates 65g22%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 50g56%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 749IU15%

Calcium 73mg7%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

Expert Tips

• You can easily make this dairy free by using, vegan butter and dairy free milk. It’ll still turn out delicious!
• Either salted or unsalted butter will work in both the cake and the frosting.
• There’s enough buttercream frosting to frost the entire cake, plus enough to decorate it if you wish.
• Make sure to cool the cake completely before frosting. If you aren’t frosting right away, you can store the cake layers in the fridge overnight, each layer wrapped tightly in a plastic wrap. Once frosted, let it sit at room temperature before slicing and enjoying.
• This is a 2 tier cake, but you can easily make this 1 tier or 3 tier. Each layer is 6 servings, so adjust the serving size to how many layers you want (6 servings for 1 tier, 18 servings for 3 tiers).

Storage Tips

• Once frosted, you can store at room temperature covered for 3-4 days. The frosting will keep the cake tender and moist. You can also refrigerate for up to a week.
• You can also freeze frosted or unfrosted cake.
  • Once frosted, cut into slices, then freeze on a baking sheet overnight. The next day, wrap each slice in a plastic wrap then freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Wrap each unfrosted cake layer tightly in a plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months. You can frost frozen or defrosted cake.
• Unused buttercream frosting can be stored in an airtight container for a week. Whip before using to fluff it up again. You can also freeze for up to 3 months. Place in a resealable bag, or if using a freezer safe container – gently press down a parchment paper on top to keep from ice crystals from forming. Defrost in the fridge, then re-whip before using to frost.