Gluten-free Vanilla Cake

This cake is moist and delicious and topped with buttercream frosting. My husband Brian made this for me for my last birthday.  The recipe is very versatile.  You can replace the vanilla extract with lemon, almond, orange or maple and can be made egg-free (see some variations below).

1 c. (2 sticks) butter
2 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 t. pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 c. Gluten-free All Purpose Flour Mix + extra for dusting
1 T. + 1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. Xanhtan gum
1 t. salt
1 1/2 cup almond milk (rice or cow's), hot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease one 9 by 13 or (two 8 or 9 inch round) cake pan and dust with Gluten-free All Purpose Flour Mix.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.  Lower speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time.  Add vanilla and beat until fluffy again, scraping down bowl.  In a separate bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.  Add half of the dry mixture to the sugar mixture and beat on low speed until combined.  Add half the milk and blend again.  Then add the remaining dry ingredients and the rest of the milk.  Mix on medium-low speed until smooth, approximately 2 minutes.  Pour into pan(s) and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.  Cool in the cake in the pans for 20 minutes then turn the cake onto wire racks and cool completely before frosting.

Variations:

Egg-free: replace the 4 eggs with 6 T. unsweetened applesauce mixed with 2 t. baking powder and 4 T. warm water mixed with 1 T. gluten-free egg replacer.

Lemon Cake: Substitute 2 t. pure lemon extract for the vanilla; reduce the milk by 1/3 c. and add 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice; add 1 t. fresh lemon zest to the batter when adding the eggs.

Coconut Cake:  Substitute 1 T. pure coconut extract for the vanilla; substitute coconut milk for the milk; then add 3/4 cup coconut flakes (optional) to the cake batter, stirring until combined.