Cake flour vs. all-purpose flour: What's the difference, and how do I substitute? (2024)

FAQs

Cake flour vs. all-purpose flour: What's the difference, and how do I substitute? ›

Cake Flour Differences. The difference between all-purpose flour and cake flour actually comes down to protein content. All-purpose flour has a higher protein content than cake flour: It's about 10 to 12 percent in all-purpose flour versus 7 to 9 percent in cake flour, depending on the manufacturer.

Add an extra 2 tablespoons per cup of cake flour to equal the quantity in 1 cup of AP flour. If you're substituting all-purpose flour for cake flour, you'll want to reverse these ratios: Use 2 tablespoons less AP flour per cup of cake flour, and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch per cup.

For starters, cake flour is low-protein (typically 5–8% protein as compared to 10–13% for AP), and that's because it's milled from low-protein (a.k.a. soft) wheat. This means it does not produce as much gluten as regular AP flour and can yield more light, tender results.

Cake flour doesn't contain any raising agents. So when using it, you will need to use baking powder or baking soda into your cake. When making your own homemade cake flour just note that cornstarch is not a raising agent. It's what is used to soften your flour and cake.

Cake flour = low protein = less gluten = softest texture = great for vanilla cake and vanilla cupcakes. All-purpose flour = medium protein = moderate gluten = suitable for anything, from chocolate chip cookies to pizza dough.

Either cake flour or pastry flour can be used as a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour in most baking recipes. Steer away from cake flour for chewy bread baking, though, and opt instead for bread or whole-wheat flour for your no-knead and sourdough loaves.

Protein: Cake flour comes from soft wheat. This flour type has lower protein content and less gluten than AP flour, yielding a more delicate treat. All-purpose flour is made from a blend of soft and hard wheat, with 10 percent protein content, and work best for baked goods with denser textures.

Is it Self Raising Flour? No, cake flour does not contain any raising agents – so in that respect, you would use it in any cake or sweet treat recipe that calls for plain flour. You will need to add baking powder, or bicarb soda or other raising ingredients into your cake – just follow your recipe instructions.

Cakes: For light, delicate cakes like yellow cake, angel food cake, and chiffon cake, use bleached flour, especially when the recipe calls for cake flour. For sturdier cakes like carrot cake, pumpkin loaves, quick breads, and muffins that can tolerate a denser texture, use either bleached or unbleached.

Why does my cake rise when I add baking powder? ›

Baking powder is mixed with the flour. When water is added to this flour to make dough, baking powder undergoes a chemical reaction during which carbon dioxide gas is produced. This carbon dioxide gas gets trapped into the dough and bubbles out which causes the cake to rise making it soft and spongy.

A cake with all-purpose flour substituted for cake flour is more likely to have a slightly coarser crumb, while a cake made with cake flour will have a finer, more even crumb and enhanced tenderness. Our Traditional Angel Food Cake is a good example.

Refined flours

The rule of thumb here is the more protein, the lower the shelf life. For low-protein types of flour, like all-purpose or cake flour, you have about a year from the date of purchase to use it. For higher protein varieties, like bread flour, the clock runs out quicker; you'll get about nine months.

Because our pastry flour has less protein than all purpose flour, it's ideal for many lighter baking purposes. In addition to making pastry, it can be used in place of cake flour in your favorite cake recipes. It's also a wonderful flour for biscuits, scones, cookies, muffins, pound cake and more.

If you opt for all cake flour cookies, less gluten is formed when you mix the cookie dough. The resulting cookie consistency post-baking is delicate, softer, fluffier, and, well, more cake-like. The color may end up paler, and the edges might not be as crispy. But the flavor should still deliver.

Is All-Purpose Flour Self Rising? All-purpose flour will not rise on its own. If a recipe calls for all-purpose flour, it will typically require a leavening agent like baking soda, baking powder, or yeast to provide lift.

Cake Flour vs Self-Raising Flour: Cake flour is finely ground wheat flour with low protein and gluten levels but is bleached for health reasons. Self-raising flour, on the other hand, is not as finely grounded but has more protein and gluten content, with additional ingredients like salt and baking powder.

Lots of baking sites disagree about how to turn all-purpose flour into bread flour. Some people recommend adding just 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of all-purpose, while others recommend 1 to 3 tablespoons per recipe. I guess the variation depends on the baker's preferences and budget.