What Is Cake flour and How Can I Use It?

If cake flour has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 640 recipes to try it in.

What is cake flour?

Cake flour is wheat flour milled fine from soft, low-protein wheat, usually 7 to 9 percent protein. Less protein means less gluten, and less gluten means a soft, fine, tender crumb. That tenderness is its whole reason for being.

It is also milled finer than all-purpose and most often bleached, a treatment that weakens the proteins further and lets the flour carry more sugar and fat without collapsing.

The result is a cake that rises high and feels almost cottony, the texture you want in a layer cake or a sponge.

How to Use It

Reach for cake flour when a delicate crumb is the goal: angel food, chiffon, sponge and tender butter cakes. The low protein keeps the structure from turning chewy even when you beat the batter to incorporate air.

It is what gives a Feather Light Angel Food Cake with Egg White Frosting its cloud-soft texture, since there is almost nothing but whipped whites and flour holding it up.

The fine grind matters in high-ratio cakes, the kind carrying more sugar and liquid than flour, like a Best Ever Red Velvet Cake. All-purpose would give a coarser, sturdier crumb.

Sift it before measuring. Cake flour clumps easily, and a packed cup throws off a delicate batter where a tablespoon too much reads as dry.

Cooking and Pairing

Cake flour partners with gentle leaveners and whipped air. It works with baking powder, with creamed butter and sugar, and above all with beaten eggs, which do much of the lifting in a low-gluten batter.

The biggest mistake is overmixing once the flour goes in. With so little protein you would think it forgiving, but beat it hard after adding flour and you still toughen the crumb and knock out air. Fold gently and stop early.

The second is using it for the wrong job. Cake flour cannot carry a yeast bread or a sturdy cookie; it has no muscle, and the result spreads or sinks.

Substitutes

You can fake cake flour from all-purpose.

For each cup, remove 2 tablespoons of all-purpose and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, then sift several times to blend and aerate. The cornstarch dilutes the protein and softens the crumb.

It is not a flawless match, since the grind is coarser, but it is close enough for most cakes.

Self-rising flour is also low protein, but it has baking powder and salt added, so only swap it in if you adjust the leavening accordingly. Bread flour is the wrong choice; its protein makes a tough, rubbery cake.

Buying and Storing It

Look for boxes labeled cake flour, often bleached, in the baking aisle near the all-purpose. Bleached versions give the softest, whitest crumb, which is why most cake flour is sold that way.

Store it airtight in a cool, dark spot, where it holds six to eight months. Because it is so fine, it absorbs odors and moisture quickly, so keep it sealed away from anything fragrant.

For long storage, freeze it in an airtight bag for up to a year. Let it warm and sift it again before use, since freezing can pack it down.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find cake flour: Cake flour is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Cake flour is a member of the Cereal Grains and Pasta US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

蛋糕粉

British (UK) term

Cake flour

en français

farine de blé tendre

en español

harina suave

How much does cake flour weigh?

Related

Cereal Grains and Pasta

Recipes using cake flour

There are 640 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Cocoa Layer Cake

A simple, one-bowl cocoa layer cake that comes together in minutes and bakes into two tender 9-inch layers. Rich chocolate flavor without fuss—perfect for beginners.

Chocolate Waffles

Chocolate waffles bake up crisp outside and tender inside, with cocoa, brown sugar, and a splash of rum for depth. Cake flour keeps them light. A brunch-meets-dessert waffle made for piling on berries, cream, or syrup.

Miss Lulu's Chocolate Waffles

Vintage chocolate waffles made with melted semisweet chocolate and folded egg whites for a tender, cake-like texture. Serve hot with syrup, whipped cream, or a scoop of ice cream for brunch or dessert.

Blueberry Muffins with Nutmeg Topping

Bakery-style blueberry muffins with nutmeg sugar topping. Three flours, butter, and buttermilk give a tender crumb and tall domed tops crowned with crackly spiced sugar.

Apple with Cream Cake

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Orange Yeast Waffles

Orange yeast waffles bloom active dry yeast in warm orange juice for citrus-perfumed breakfast waffles. Vegan-friendly with soy milk, cake flour, and pure orange oil for extra zing.

Favorite Linzer Cookies

Crisp nut cookies sandwiched together with a raspberry filling, which peeks through the cutout in the top cookie.

Basic Yellow Cake

Basic yellow cake from scratch with cake flour, almond and vanilla extracts, and the classic creaming method that gives it a tender, fine crumb. The blueprint recipe for layer cakes, cupcakes, and birthday cakes you will use again and again.

Best Chocolate Walnut Cookies

Slice-and-bake chocolate walnut cookies built on a flourless-style dough with a pound of melted semi-sweet chocolate, espresso, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, almost no flour.

Buttery Almond Shortbread

Toasted blanched almonds fold into buttery shortbread dough spiked with Cognac and vanilla, then get dusted with powdered sugar while hot for these melt-away cookies with sophisticated European flair.

Holiday Vegan Pumpkin Pie

A vegan pumpkin pie with a silky tofu-set custard, spiced with cinnamon, ginger and mace and sweetened with molasses, in a flaky from-scratch crust. An egg- and dairy-free holiday classic.

Homemade Buttecream Cupcake

Light sponge cupcakes filled with vanilla buttercream piped right into the center. A whipped-egg batter bakes airy and tender, then a hidden swirl of pink buttercream makes every bite a surprise.

Homemade Cupcakes

Everyone loves cupcakes. They are small but wonderfully sweet. Try this recipe.

Festival Sugar Cookies

Festival sugar cookies: tender cake-flour roll-out cookies that hold any shape, perfect for cutter cookies, icing, and sprinkles. Holiday-tested recipe yielding five dozen.

Low-Fat Brownies

Satisfy your sweet tooth with this scrumptious low-fat snack which is perfect for dessert.

Kahlua Mousse Brownies

Kahlua mousse brownies, a thin sheet brownie spiked with coffee liqueur and instant coffee for deep chocolate-mocha flavor. Bake in a jelly roll pan and sandwich with ice cream for a fancy dessert.

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Moist lemon blueberry cake with cornmeal, buttermilk, and fresh lemon zest. Bursting with 3 cups of blueberries, this from-scratch sheet cake has a golden crumb and bright citrus flavor in every slice.

Blueberry Hill Muffins

From a new blueberry cookbook I just got, these sound good for my two blueberry lovin' guys! I like that they have very little butter in them...cant wait to try them out! It doesnt say how many it makes so Im guessing at 6.

Blueberry Hill Muffins

From a new blueberry cookbook I just got, these sound good for my two blueberry lovin' guys! I like that they have very little butter in them...cant wait to try them out! It doesnt say how many it makes so Im guessing at 6.

Ambrosia's Pound Cake

Classic pound cake the old way: a pound each of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs, separated and folded for a tall, tender, golden loaf. Serve with berries and toasted almonds.

Chocolate-Chip Cookie Muffins

Chocolate chip cookie muffins with melted unsweetened chocolate, brown sugar, semi-sweet chips, and pecans. Bakery-style chocolate muffins between a cookie and a cake.

Chocolate-Chip Cookie Muffins

Chocolate chip cookie muffins with melted unsweetened chocolate, brown sugar, semi-sweet chips, and pecans. Bakery-style chocolate muffins between a cookie and a cake.

Homemade Cupcakes & Buttercream Frosting

Cupcakes are also known as fairy cakes. They are delicious. Try this recipe.

Rich Pumpkin Bread or Muffins

Make a bunch of these buttery and moist pumpkin bread or muffins for Thanksgiving. Cream adds extra richness. Honey, molasses and vanilla with all the spices make the bread taste incredibly flavorful and tasty. They are also wonderful gifts for you to give away.

Reduced Fat Brownies

Reduced fat brownies made with applesauce, cocoa powder, and melted unsweetened chocolate. Fudgy and rich with less oil, topped with toasted walnuts.

Homemade Sunflower Cake

When planning your next party, try this sunflower shaped cake recipe.

Basic Flakey Biscuits

Tender flaky biscuits made with cake flour, butter, milk, and an egg. Cornmeal-dusted pan for crisp bottoms and biscuits set close so they rise tall instead of spreading.

Scones (Tea Biscuits)

Tender, bakery-style scones made with cake flour for a light crumb. The sticky dough scoops straight onto the pan, no rolling or cutting, and bakes right from frozen, so you can stash a batch and bake fresh whenever the kettle's on.

No Worries Sugar Cookies!

These are a huge crowd pleaser and easy to make. It is a large recipe, and can easily be halved or doubled. Hope you enjoy!

Pecan Tarts with Caramel Sauce

Pecan tarts with caramel sauce: flaky homemade pastry shells filled with a brown-butter pecan filling, baked golden, then drizzled with silky amber caramel. Individual holiday tartlets worth the effort.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Tender blueberry cream cheese muffins made in the food processor with cake flour, juicy berries, and a tang of lemon. Soft cake-like crumb, ready in 45 minutes.

Homemade Birthday Cake

Homemade birthday cake better than any store bought cake.

Homemade Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake is a common desert. It’s quick easy and delicious. This chocolate cake will delight you! Try it.

Coconut Angel Food Cake

Coconut angel food cake folds shredded coconut into a fat-free egg-white batter, then frosts the cooled tube cake in seven-minute orange frosting and toasted coconut.

Homemade Easy Birthday Cake

Homemade birthday cake better than any store-bought cake.

Easter Party Cake

I added some pureed strawberries and a couple of drops of red food coloring to make the cake pink.

Homemade Sweet Muffins

A simple, delicious snack. Mouthwatering muffins which are perfect for breakfast, coffee or tea later in the day. Try it!

Ganache-Filled Devil's Food Cake

Ganache-filled devil's food cake: a deeply moist, dark chocolate layer cake with a silky chocolate ganache filling and rich cocoa buttercream. A triple-chocolate showstopper for serious chocolate lovers.

Angel Food Cake

Egg whites beaten to stiff peaks with sugar and cream of tartar bake into this impossibly light angel food cake where almond extract adds subtle nutty fragrance to the cloud-like crumb.

Nick's Peach Cobbler

Nick's peach cobbler tops three and a half pounds of fresh sliced peaches with a tender buttermilk biscuit crust. Cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and pieces of butter make a syrupy summer dessert.

Blackberries Crumb Bars

Blackberry crumb bars, a buttery lemon-scented dough that doubles as crust and crumble, layered with a juicy cornstarch-thickened blackberry filling. Like portable blackberry pie, baked and cut into squares.

Breakfast Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins

Strawberry oatmeal muffins built with instant oats, cake flour, fresh diced strawberries, and egg whites for a low-fat, breakfast-friendly muffin sweetened with brown sugar and warmed with cinnamon.

Coconut Pound Cake

Coconut pound cake baked from cold-oven start to a tall, golden tube cake. Built on cake flour and shortening for ultra-tender crumb, with shredded coconut and coconut flavouring throughout. Drizzle with sugar glaze if desired.

Maple Cranberry-Bran Muffins

Cranberry bran muffin recipe with maple syrup and wheat germ.

Smores Cake

Smores cake layers fluffy graham cracker sponge with toasted miniature marshmallows and mini chocolate chips broiled until bubbly. Low-fat campfire-flavored cake without leaving the kitchen.

Cappuccino Muffins

Cappuccino muffins with cocoa, espresso crystals, bittersweet chocolate, and orange zest. Sour cream and half-and-half keep the crumb tender while coffee deepens the chocolate flavor.

Oliver's Cornmeal Tea Biscuits

Oliver's cornmeal tea biscuits: tender, slightly sweet biscuits with the gritty crunch of cornmeal and a soft cake-flour crumb. A British-leaning tea-time bake that walks the line between scone and biscuit.

German Chocolate Cake

Three-layer German chocolate cake with coconut-pecan frosting, rich cocoa layers, and drizzled chocolate topping. Classic American dessert for birthdays and celebrations.

Strawberry Meringue Cake

Light and packed with strawberry flavor. Make this delicious cake with seasonal strawberries, if you can find organic ones, the cake would taste more strawberry-y. Only 1/2 cup flour in the cake, and almost fat-free and guilt-free. Enjoy :)

Buttery Hawaiian Banana Bread

Buttery Hawaiian banana bread: a tall, tender loaf made with six very ripe bananas and cake flour for an extra-soft crumb. Tropical sweetness in every slice.

All 640 recipes