Can I Use Cake Flour Instead Of All Purpose

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You only need 2 common ingredients– all-purpose flour and cornstarch– to make a homemade cake flour substitute. Sifting them together is key. Use this mixture whenever a recipe calls for block flour.

As my baking experience grows, I use cake flour more and more in my baking. At that place'south no denying that cake flour produces the softest, almost tender cakes and cupcakes. I try to keep my kitchen stocked with this crucial ingredient, just sometimes I rapidly run out when I'm recipe testing. So in a compression, I make this super like shooting fish in a barrel block flour substitute.

Let's support for a minute though.

What is Cake Flour?

Cake flour is a low poly peptide flour that'southward milled into a fine consistency. It contains nigh 7-nine% protein, while all-purpose flour, a harder flour, has anywhere between x-12%. What does this mean for blistering? You lot encounter, poly peptide content is direct related to gluten formation. Cake flour's lower protein means less gluten is formed as you mix the batter together. Less gluten formation equates to a softer, fluffier texture.

Staff of life flour has a high poly peptide content, which means more gluten forms during the mixing process. Super basic breakdown:

Cake flour = low protein = less gluten = softest texture = smashing for vanilla cake
All-purpose flour = medium protein = moderate gluten = suitable for anything
Breadstuff flour = loftier protein = more gluten formation = hardest texture = corking for bread

What Does That Mean for Baking?

Cake flour'south soft, tender texture directly translates into your baked good.

However, some recipes simply can't withstand fine cake flour. Chocolate block, for example, already has cocoa pulverisation— which is a VERY fine dry out ingredient. The combination of cake flour and cocoa pulverisation usually results in a flimsy cake. Additionally, carrot cake and banana cake comprise boosted moisture ingredients (the fruits or veggies), so block flour isn't actually ideal. You need a stronger flour similar all-purpose flour.

I stick to cake flour when making vanilla cake, white block, pineapple upside-down cake, reddish velvet cake, and other cakes where a fluffy texture is favorable. I've been successful substituting cake flour for all-purpose flour to create a softer funfetti block. Make a one:1 substitution with no other changes to the recipe.

How to Make a Homemade Block Flour Substitute

Stride 1: Measure i loving cup all-purpose flour. Remove ii Tablespoons.

Step 2: Measure out 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Add to the flour. Cornstarch contains less gluten than flour, so it's a wonderful tenderizing ingredient to assist make cake flour.

Pace 3: Sift together TWICE. Basically, sift into a mixing basin once. So run information technology through the sifter ane more time. Sifting not only mixes the two ingredients together appropriately, it aerates the mixture so the consistency is similar to real cake flour.

Step 4: Measure out 1 cup from this mixture. You'll have well-nigh 1 cup anyway, only sometimes sifting can produce more volume since it's calculation air.

Items Y'all Demand

Cornstarch
All-Purpose Flour
Sifter/fine mesh sieve
1 cup measuring cup
one/viii loving cup measuring loving cup or a Tablespoon (1/8 cup = 2 Tablespoons)

PS: Here'due south the flour canister pictured above. I apply these for my flour, granulated saccharide, brownish sugar, and confectioners' sugar. They're awesome!

If you're purchasing cake flour, though, I'm happy to share my favorite brands. I love Swans Downwards and Softasilk. (Non working with either, just a genuine fan!) I utilise unbleached when I tin find information technology, otherwise I only stick with bleached. Both brands provide quality results for a good price. You lot can find cake flour in the baking aisle next to the all-purpose flour.

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Description

You only demand 2 common ingredients– all-purpose flour and cornstarch– to brand a homemade cake flour substitute. Sifting them together is key. Utilise this mixture whenever a recipe calls for cake flour.

1 cup (125g; 16 Tablespoons) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)*
2 Tablespoons (16g) cornstarch

Start with 1 cup all-purpose flour. Remove two Tablespoons (16g) so you take fourteen Tablespoons total. (Utilise the 2 Tablespoons you removed another time. Just put it back in the flour bag/canister!)
Add together cornstarch to the 14 Tablespoons of flour.
Sift together TWICE. Basically, sift into a mixing basin. Then run it through the sifter ane more time. Sifting not only mixes the two ingredients together appropriately, it aerates the mixture so the consistency is similar to real cake flour.
Measure (spoon & level) ane cup from this mixture. You'll accept about 1 loving cup anyhow, only sometimes sifting can produce more than volume since information technology'southward adding air.
Now yous have one cup of cake flour that you can apply in any recipes requiring cake flour. If the recipe requires more than ane loving cup cake flour, you can do this process in bulk, but I notice it's better to make each cup of cake flour separately.

Notes

Basically you need xiv Tablespoons (3/iv loving cup + 2 Tablespoons; 109g) of spoon & leveled all-purpose flour. Sometimes it'southward easier to measure one cup (sixteen Tablespoons) so remove 2 Tablespoons than to individually measure 14 Tablespoons. Alternatively, you could measure 3/4 loving cup flour then add ii Tablespoons.
Cornstarch is extra fine and lowers the gluten germination in the all-purpose flour, similar to cake flour. In the UK, cornstarch is referred to as corn flour. Make sure you are not using cornmeal. They are completely unlike ingredients.

Keywords: cake, flour