For an updated version of this method, click here.
Cake flour. Let’s face facts: I never have cake flour on hand when I need it. Luckily, there’s a super easy way to turn good old all-purpose flour into cake flour, lightening your cake crumb, making it super soft and delicious. Maybe you already know this trick. It’s a good one.
Here’s a step by step. From me to you!
How to Turn All-Purpose Flour into Cake Flour
Step One: Measure out the all-purpose flour that you’ll need for your recipe.
Step Two: For every cup of flour you use, take out two tablespoons of flour and return it to the flour bin. Throw the cup of flour (minus the two tablespoons) into a sifter set over a bowl.
Step Three: Replace the two tablespoons of flour that your removed with two tablespoons of cornstarch.
Step Four: Sift the flour and cornstarch together. Sift it again, and again and again. The cornstarch and flour need to be well incorporated and the flour aerated. Sift the flour and cornstarch mixture about five times. Look at that! You just made cake flour!
Bec Clarke
Thank you so much, I live a long way from anywhere and the shops at my nearest anywhere never have cake flour, this is so great.
Arlene Baker
Thank you so much I have baked all my life and I am 71 years old and never knew this so thanks so much
elizabeth
Wow, Arlene! I admire you that you keep learning and forget age. My very smart Mom (me! hello) thinks she can’t even do a smart phone and here you are commenting and baking without a glitch! I hope your cake turned out fine and off I go to figure out cake flour at 12am.
Dina
I made the cake flour as directed but there is a lot more than the four cups I started with for my recipe. do I use all of it or just measure our 4 cups as called for in my recipe? HELP!
Firabelle
You can use as much as you need- you could even do a half cup of flour, and one tablespoon of flour substituted with corn starch.
Jamilla
Dina: measure the amount the recipe calls for after youve siftrd it or you will have an more dense cake than you would have if you had just used ap flour
Margaret Fitch
Just like you Bec Clarke, we live out in the country and our grocery store in town does not carry cake flour. Now I can get to making some cakes. Thanks.
Dolores
Thank you Joy?? The first time I used this cake flour from all-purpose my cake came out so fluffy. Thank you again. Now I will make this cake flour always.
Casey
Thanks Joy! Never thought about making my own!
Dani
hmmm, thanks! =)
I’ve never bought cake flour (ok, maybe once…because I was out of corn starch anyway, hahaha), but i’ve never sifted the stuff together. Usually I just replace the 2 tbs of flour with 2 tbs of cornstarch, and call it a day. But I will def do this sifting thing next time!
Greg
And for “self-rising” flour, I’ve added 1 tsp of baking powder per cup of flour with decent results (not sure if that’s the true proper ratio, but it’s worked for me)
Samantha
you guys Stateside are lucky to have “cake flour” to buy! It seems we haven’t thought of making a lovely marketable product like that here yet. (And when I lived in the middle east, self-raising flour wasn’t even on the shelves! A nightmare.) Thanks for your joy always, Joy!
Spruce Hill
Wow I neve knew that1 Thanks we will be making it from now on!
Cindy
Isn’t cake flour bleached whereas most all-purpose isn’t?
joythebaker
Yes. Cake flour is often bleached, but I tend to stay away from bleached flours. I’ve found that this trick with unbleached all-purpose flour works wonders and I get to skip the bleaching. Bonus for me!
JennEJenn
Awesome! Now I don’t need to buy cake flour! Woo Hoo!
Mike Wilson
very nice. One less big plastic container.
Charla Gallinger
Love this and love your recipes. Thanks for posting
Vivan
This is really good to know. I do have a question however. I am allergic to corn and its by products. Have you ever tried this with an alternative starch such as rice or tapioca? The cake flour I do use has no cornstarch in it, but I don’t always have it on hand. Thanks!
joythebaker
That’s a great question Vivan! I have never tried this trick with rick or tapioca powder. If you try it, do let me know how it works out for you!
Laura
Vivian, you can replace corn starch with potato starch. They work one-for-one, so one tablespoon corn starch = one tablespoon potato starch. Be sure to get potato STARCH and not potato FLOUR. If you have trouble finding it now, wait until the Spring and look for it in the Kosher for Passover section of the store. It keeps a long time too!
jenn
I’ve never purchased cake flour but always sift my all purpose flour with potato starch. it has similar properties and acts in a similar way to corn starch. Using the same technique and amounts Joy listed with the substitution should work. Hope that helps
Louise
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
I’m definitely bookmarking this post. I can’t tell you how many trips to the store this one tip will save me. Or SEVERAL stores, because I never know which one will have cake flour on any given day. You’re the greatest, Joy!
Catalina Kolker
I did not know you can actually make your own, at home. Thank you so much !
Cathy
I’ve done that for the red velvet cake I made. Works great!
stephanie
Many many thanks!!! Is there a way to turn all-purpose into bread flour?
Mike Wilson
Bread flour is flour with a higher protein content, leading to more gluten,etc.
The level of protein in certain brands differ. King Arthur’s “all purpose” can frequently be substituted for bread flour.
Also, if you are able to find “vital wheat gluten” and add some (not sure of the precise proportions, but a bit less than 1 tsp/cup) to all purpose then you’ll raise the net protein content enough to get by.
Check Peter Reinhart’s “Bread Baker’s Apprentice” or Beranbaum’s “Bread Bible” for a bunch more information on this stuff.
(God how I miss having a working oven ;-)
joythebaker
Thanks Mike! I never thought I could turn all-purpose flour into bread flour because of the differing protein contents. Great tips!
Mike Wilson
Happy to help.
Yep, that’s really the only technical difference. It’s a blend of hard and soft flours but that’s only to achieve the increased protein content. The math is probably easily researched.
A quick scan turned up this link that talks about the actual numbers.
http://www.joyofbaking.com/flour.html
I didn’t realize that cake flour was just the other side of the coin and the primary effect of the cornstarch trick is just to remove protein.
Just goes to show ya, if you’re not careful you learn something new every day.
I gotta learn to be more careful.
o/
vicki
Awesome:)