Cake flour substitute

For each 1 cup of cake flour, whisk together 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. You can swap it by weight or by volume.

3 options, scored for what you are making · Checked

Out of cake flour mid-recipe?

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What are you making?

  1. All-purpose flour + cornstarch

    Great fit

    ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and 2 tbsp cornstarch

    For this dish: The blend keeps the protein low enough for a tender, even crumb in a tall cake.

    How: Whisk the flour and cornstarch together until evenly blended, then measure out what the recipe needs. Use it in place of cake flour, cup for cup.

    What changes: The cornstarch lowers the protein of the blend, so the crumb gets closer to cake flour. It will not be quite as fine as real cake flour.

    Contains wheat.

  2. All-purpose flour + cornstarch (by weight)

    Great fit

    105 g all-purpose flour and 14 g cornstarch

    For this dish: Weighing keeps the protein level steady, which matters most in a tall layer cake.

    How: Weigh the flour and cornstarch, whisk them together, and use the blend in place of cake flour at the same weight as the recipe lists.

    What changes: Same result as the cup version, but weighing is more precise because scooped flour can pack differently from cup to cup.

    Contains wheat.

  3. All-purpose flour alone (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons)

    Works

    ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

    For this dish: Fine in a pinch, but the crumb will be a bit coarser than a cake flour layer cake.

    How: Use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons (7/8 cup) all-purpose flour for each cup of cake flour. Mix the batter as the recipe says.

    What changes: The batter mixes the same way, but the cake may have a slightly coarser crumb.

    Contains wheat.

Scores are our editorial judgement from the sources below, not lab tests.

What cake flour does in a recipe

Cake flour has less protein than all-purpose flour. King Arthur's cake flour is 10% protein and its all-purpose is 11.7%. Less protein means less gluten, which gives cakes a softer, finer crumb. A substitute has to lower the protein of the flour you have, or you accept a slightly coarser crumb.

Swap it in your recipe with Sous Chef

A substitution is more than one ingredient line. The steps that use it change too. Sous Chef edits both on a working copy of your recipe, so the original is always one tap away.

You ask Sous Chef

"I don't have cake flour."

Sous Chef edits the recipe

1 cup cake flour
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and 2 tbsp cornstarch
Added to the steps: Whisk the flour and cornstarch together until evenly blended, then measure out what the recipe needs. Use it in place of cake flour, cup for cup.
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When not to substitute

For angel food, chiffon and other delicate sponge cakes, use real cake flour if you can. These cakes depend on a very tender, low-protein structure.

Common questions

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?

Yes. Use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour per cup of cake flour. The cake may have a slightly coarser crumb.

Can I use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour?

Not as a straight swap. King Arthur warns that a 1:1 swap into an all-purpose recipe might give a sunken cake or bars. One extension chart uses 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour per cup of all-purpose.

How much cornstarch do I add to make cake flour?

Use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch plus 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour for each 1 cup. That is the same as measuring 1 cup of all-purpose flour, taking out 2 tablespoons and adding back 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

What is the best cake flour substitute?

All-purpose flour with cornstarch. For each cup of cake flour, whisk 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. By weight that is 105 g flour and 14 g cornstarch. King Arthur says the blend replaces cake flour by equal weight or volume.

Related

Sources

Cook with what you have.

Import any recipe into Sous Chef and ask for the swap. It rewrites the ingredient list and the steps, and never loses the original. Free on iPhone.

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