How to Make Cake Flour at Home
Skip the store and make your own cake flour with this easy recipe using just two ingredients!
What is Cake Flour?
Cake flour is a finely milled flour, often marketed as extra-fine or superfine, known for creating incredibly light and airy baked goods. Its delicate texture allows it to absorb a significant amount of water, which results in a tender crumb and soft texture in your final product.
It’s the secret ingredient for tender, light baked goods like brownies, layer cakes, cupcakes, scones, and quick breads. Cake flour’s characteristics contribute to the airy texture and delicate crumb many bakers strive for. It’s often used in pastries to create a light and fluffy consistency.
The best part? You don’t need to buy a special product. You can easily make your own cake flour with two ingredients you likely already have in your pantry: all-purpose flour and cornstarch. It’s that simple!
Cake Flour Substitute Recipe
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch (or equal parts arrowroot powder)
Instructions:
- Sift together the all-purpose flour and cornstarch twice. This ensures even distribution and removes any lumps.
- Store the mixture in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use. This helps maintain its freshness and prevents clumping.
Cake Flour FAQs
Because cake flour has a lower protein content, it develops less gluten. This results in a lighter and more tender texture in your baked goods.
For best results, store your homemade cake flour in an airtight container made of glass or plastic at room temperature. It should last for up to 3-4 months. In a cooler part of your house, it may last for 6-8 months. You can extend its shelf life further:
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one year.
- Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to two years. However, keep in mind that flour stored for extended periods may not yield the same results as fresh flour.
Recipe Tips
- Beyond baking, cake flour can be used for fun projects like making homemade playdough or glue.
- To check if flour has gone bad, smell it. If it smells rancid or shows any signs of mold, discard it immediately.
- If you don’t have cornstarch, you can substitute with an equal amount of arrowroot powder.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- Chocolate Milk Cake
- Lemon Pudding Cookies
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Pizza Dough Recipe
How to Make Cake Flour
By Jamie Sherman
Don’t make a special trip to the store – let me show you how easy it is to make cake flour at home with two common pantry ingredients!
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
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Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Sift together the flour and cornstarch two times.
- Store the mixture in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
Notes
- Aside from being used in baked goods, you can also make homemade play-dough or homemade glue!
- The best way to tell if any flour has gone bad is to smell it or look at it. If it smells rancid or shows signs of mold, you should throw it out.
- You can also use equal amounts of arrowroot powder in place of the cornstarch.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 0.25 cup, Calories: 115kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 0.3g, Saturated Fat: 0.04g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 29mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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