How To Substitute Cake Flour For All Purpose Flour?

Occasionally, when baking, you may encounter a recipe that calls for cake flour, but you only have all-purpose flour. Although cake flour has a finer texture and lower protein content than all-purpose flour, it is possible to substitute one for the other with a few modifications. This article, will explain how to substitute cake flour for all purpose flour.

How To Substitute Cake Flour For All Purpose Flour?

Method 1: Substituting Cake Flour By Volume

1. Use Cake Flour For Lighter, Fluffier Cakes And Baked Goods

If you want your culinary goods to have a more delicate structure and a less dense consistency, replace the all-purpose flour in a recipe with cake flour. It has a reduced protein content than traditional all-purpose flour, allowing it to produce more airy baked goods.
Stick with all-purpose flour or bread flour when baking bread. These recipes require additional gluten to achieve the desired consistency.
Despite having less gluten than all-purpose flour, cake flour is not gluten-free.
Consider using cake flour the next time one of the following recipes calls for all-purpose flour to see how the texture differs: scones, biscuits, cupcakes, muffins, cakes, pancakes, waffles, and sweetbreads.

2. Swap 1 Cup And 2 Tbsp (128 grams) Of Cake Flour For Each Cup (128 grams) Of All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour is heavier than cake flour, so a little cake flour needs to be added to the total amount called for in the recipe.
You could attempt to remember this conversion by reciting a rhyme, such as “For an extra-fluffy cake, add two tablespoons to the batter!”

3. Spoon Cake Flour Into A Measuring Cup Until It’s Full And Slightly Mounded

If you dipped the measuring cup right into the cake flour to get it, the flour would get packed down, and you would use too much for the recipe. Instead, use a big object to move the flour from the jar to the measuring cup.
When a small mound rises above the edge of the measuring cup, stop adding flour.
The precise measurement of flour is essential to cooking. Too much flour in a recipe will result in a dry and crumbly baked product; too little flour will result in a flat and greasy one.

4. Level The Flour In The Measuring Cup With The Back Of A Butter Knife

Run the straight back of a clean knife along the circumference of the measuring cup.
Return the excess flour to its container to prevent waste.
If excess flour is adhering to the outside of the measuring cup, tap the knife against the receptacle to remove it.

5. Repeat The Measuring And Leveling Procedures For The Cake Flour Tablespoons

You can either ladle flour into the tablespoons or use them directly in the container of cake flour.
Before adding them to your recipe, use the blade of your butter knife to level them off.

Method 2: Using A Kitchen Scale To Weigh Cake Flour

1. Use A kitchen Scale For More Precise Ingredient Measurements

Utilize a kitchen scale to avoid filling a measuring cup with flour too tightly or too lightly. They provide precise measurements, making it simple to weigh ingredients precisely.
Additionally, kitchen scales are helpful if you frequently bake European recipes. Instead of converting grams and milliliters to cups, you can weigh your ingredients and continue baking.

2. Place A spotless Bowl On A Kitchen Scale And Calibrate It To Zero

Most scales have an “on” or “clear” button to recalibrate the measurements. Verify that it reads “0” before measuring your cake flour.
It would help if you used a bowl of some kind to hold the flour. Putting flour directly on the scale will create a powdery mess, and you will have to clear the scale afterward.

3. 1 Cup (128 grams) Of Cake Flour Is Equivalent To 1 Cup (128 grams) Of All-Purpose Flour

Utilize a large spoon to measure flour into the bowl on a culinary scale. Add more flour until the scale reads 128 grams.
If your recipe’s ingredients are listed in grams and milliliters, substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour and measure the required number of grams. If the list of items is in cups, keep in mind that 1 cup of all-purpose flour is equal to 128 grams.

4. Remove Any Excess Flour With A Spoon Until The Scale Reads 128 Grams

If you overfill the bowl with flour, it is extremely easy to modify the measurement until it is accurate. Replace the flour in its container to avoid wasting it.
If you need to add ingredients to the cake flour, reset the scale to zero and measure them into the same basin.

Method: 3 Converting All-Purpose Flour To Cake Flour

1. Measure 1 Level Cup (128 grams) Of All-Purpose Flour In A Small Receptacle

Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then balance it using the blade of a butter knife. Then, carefully transfer the measured flour to a small, clean receptacle.
Before using, ensure that your measuring cup is completely dry. If the flour is moist, it will adhere to the inside of the measuring cup and throw off your measurements.

2. Remove 2 Tablespoons Of All-Purpose Flour (17 grams) From The Basin

Level each tablespoon with the base of the butter knife after scooping it. Place the 2 tablespoons (17 grams) back into the container of all-purpose flour; they are not needed but should not be discarded.
Utilizing precise measurements is essential for producing high-quality baked goods.

3. Replace The Flour With 2 Tablespoons (29.6 milliliters) Of Cornstarch (15 grams).

Add the measured cornstarch to the basin containing the flour. If your recipe calls for 1 cup (128 grams) of all-purpose flour, you will need to substitute 2 tablespoons (17 grams) of it with 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (15 grams) of cornstarch.
If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup (64 grams) of all-purpose flour, remove 1 tablespoon (8 grams) and replace it with 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) of cornstarch (7 grams).
Cornstarch inhibits a portion of the gluten in your recipe, so the finished product should be lighter than if you had used all-purpose flour.

Method 4: Sift The Flour And Cornstarch Together 5 Ttimes

1. Next To The Bowl With The Flour And Cornstarch, Put A Second Clean Pan

Put the flour mixture into a sifter and shake it over the double bowl four times to make sure all the flour goes through. Keep switching between the two containers to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.
Sifting the flour and cornstarch together is essential to produce a light and fluffy baked product. If the cornstarch is thoroughly incorporated, the texture of your baked product will be smooth in certain areas.
If you do not have a sifter, use a strainer or colander with a fine mesh instead.

2. Use The Cake-Flour Substitute Without Making Any Other Adjustments To The Recipe

After substituting cornstarch for all-purpose flour, you do not need to modify the recipe. Removing your baked product from the oven should have a lighter texture than if you had used all-purpose flour.
To determine whether cornmeal makes a difference, bake two identical cakes. Use all-purpose flour in the first. In the second recipe, substitute cornstarch. Then, conduct a flavor test to see if you can distinguish between the two.

With a thorough comprehension of how to make the necessary adjustments, you can confidently use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour in your recipes, ensuring that your cakes, cookies, and other baked goods are as delicious and tender as desired. Best wishes for crafting!