Looking for substitutes for cake flour? If you bake cakes, brownies, or other goods with a delicate consistency, you’re probably looking for a good substitute for cake flour. Here’s what you need to know about cake flour substitutions.
What Exactly Is Cake Flour?
Cake flour is made from soft wheat; more specifically, from soft red winter wheat. As such, it contains less protein than all-purpose flour (about 8% vs. 11%). Some brands of cake flour have a higher protein content than others; this will affect the overall texture of your baked goods.
Cake Flour vs All-Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour has a moderate amount of protein (10%–14%), which gives it some strength but also makes it less absorbent than cake flour or pastry flour (which have low amounts of protein). Because of this difference in absorbency, all-purpose flours are suitable for most types of baked goods — except cakes and pastries — while cake flours are best suited for those items.
Cake flour is sometimes labeled “cake flour” or referred to as “cake powder.” This is because the word “flour” can be confusing. The word “flour” refers to the amount of gluten in the flour, while the word “powder” refers to particle size and texture. For this reason, it’s better to think of cake flour as a fine-grind all-purpose flour that has been made with wheat-containing lower levels of protein.
Why Do You Need Cake Flour?
Cake flour is milled from soft wheat and has a low gluten content. This makes the flour more delicate and helps to prevent tough cakes and cookies. It also absorbs less liquid than regular flour, which can help keep your baked goods tender and moist.
1. it safe for human consumption
Cake flour is a low-protein (7 to 8 percent) flour that is used in cake and pastry recipes. It has been bleached or treated with chlorine dioxide to render it safe for human consumption.
2. It’s perfect for baking cakes
Cake flour is made from soft wheat, which contains low amounts of protein and gluten. This makes it perfect for baking cakes as it produces very light and tender results.
3. It has less gluten than all-purpose flour.
Gluten is the protein found in wheat and other grains, and when it’s present in large amounts it gives baked goods a chewy texture.
4. It can also be used for making cookies, biscuits, pastries, pies, and tarts.
But keep in mind that it should not be used in yeast-risen bread. In some recipes, you can substitute cornstarch for cake flour; this substitution results in a slightly denser product.
5. It also helps keep your cake from getting gummy or too dense.
It has a low amount of protein, which means it does not have as much gluten as other flours do. Gluten gives bread and baked goods their elasticity and ability to rise during baking. As such, cake flour helps give your cakes a lighter texture without being too dense or heavy in flavor like some other types of flour can be.
9 easy alternatives to cake flour substitutes
Cake flour is a fine-textured flour made from soft wheat. It has a protein content of 8 to 8.5 percent, which makes it lower than all-purpose flour (11 percent) and most bread flours (10 percent or higher).
Here are nine alternatives to cake flour:
1. Whole wheat pastry flour
A good alternative to cake flour is whole wheat pastry flour. This type of flour is ground from softer wheat kernels, which results in a lighter texture than traditional whole wheat flour.
2. All-purpose flour
All-purpose flour is made from soft wheat, which creates a lighter texture than cake flour. It’s used in many recipes and it’s the most common substitute for cake flour because it works well with most recipes. However, all-purpose flour can give your baked goods a slightly denser texture than those made with cake flour.
3. Cornstarch
Cornstarch is made from corn that has been ground into a fine powder. Because it is so finely ground, it will absorb more water than regular flour does when cooking or baking. It also has a smaller particle size than regular flour, which makes it perfect for absorbing moisture in recipes like baked goods and desserts.
4. Potato starch
Potato starch is made from potatoes that have been ground into a fine powder. Like cornstarch, potato starch absorbs lots of water when used in recipes like baked goods and desserts. It also has a smaller particle size than regular flour, so it’s great for creating airy baked goods like cakes and cupcakes.
5. Tapioca starch
Tapioca starch makes for another good substitute for cake flour, but it has even more of an effect on texture than cornstarch does — which means that it gives cakes more of an airy crumb (not quite as light as all-purpose flour) and some extra chewiness.
6. Rice flour
Rice flour is a good alternative to cake flour. It’s made from finely milled rice and has a fine texture that gives baked goods a lighter crumb. Like cornstarch and potato starch, it helps cakes rise nicely but can make them drier.
7. Soybean flour
Soybean flour is made from ground soybeans and is high in protein, which makes it ideal for gluten-free baking. It can also be used as an egg substitute in recipes that call for eggs because it binds well. However, your baked goods will not rise as much as they would with wheat flour or other flour because soybean flour has less gluten than wheat flour does.
8. Arrowroot powder
Arrowroot powder is a good substitute for cake flour. It is very similar to cornstarch, but it is more expensive and harder to find. You can use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch in any recipe.
9. Coconut flour or coconut meal (or coconut powder)
Coconut flour, coconut meal, and coconut powder are made from dried, ground coconut meat. They are high in dietary fiber and low in digestible carbohydrates compared with other flours. Coconut flour absorbs liquid very easily so you have to add more liquid than usual when using this flour as a replacement for cake flour.
How to Make a Cake Flour Substitute at Home
Cake flour is a type of flour used in baking cakes. It has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which makes it lighter and more tender. While you can buy cake flour at most grocery stores, it’s also easy to make your own.
You could use this method to make a cake substitute for use in recipes that require cake flour:
Step 1: Place 2 cups of all-purpose flour in a bowl and remove 2 tablespoons of the flour from the top of the pile using your hands or a spoon.
Step 2: Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the bowl along with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well until they are blended into the rest of the ingredients.
Step 3: Use your hands to mix in 2 tablespoons shortening until it resembles coarse sand with no large lumps remaining. You can also use vegetable oil instead of shortening if you do not want to include animal products in your food.
Step 4: Sift this mixture through a sieve twice to ensure that no lumps remain in your baked goods after cooking them in an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).
Step 5: Bake this mixture in your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius) for around 15 minutes or until it has the consistency of breadcrumbs.
Step 6: Reduce this mixture to one-third of its original size by pouring it into a bowl over the sink while mixing it with a hand mixer. This can take around 4 minutes, and you can complete the process while watching TV or listening to music.
6 Amazing Recipes with Cake Flour Substitute
Cake flour is a type of wheat flour that has a very low protein content, typically between 7% and 8%. It’s made by removing some of the bran and germ from hard wheat, resulting in a fine-textured flour. Cake flour is used to add lightness and tenderness to cakes, muffins, and other baked goods.
Here are Six recipes using cake flour:
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are so soft and chewy; they’re like biting into a chocolate chip cookie. They’re big favorites around here!
2. Lemon Blueberry Cake
This easy cake recipe uses lemon juice and lemon zest for an extra lemony kick. The blueberries make it really moist but not too sweet.
3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
These cupcakes are loaded with peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. They’re topped with a rich chocolate ganache frosting that tastes like a candy bar!
4. Vanilla Cupcakes
These vanilla cupcakes have a delicate vanilla flavor that makes them perfect for any occasion. They’re topped with fluffy buttercream frosting for an extra indulgent treat!
5. Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
This strawberry shortcake trifle is loaded with fresh, juicy strawberries. The pound cake gives the dessert a texture that melts in your mouth.
6. Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
I think carrot cake has a bad reputation that it doesn’t deserve. This fluffy, moist carrot cake is delicious! It just happens to be healthy too.
FAQs
1. What does cake flour do?
Cake flour gives baked goods a fine, tender crumb that’s more delicate than what you’d get with regular all-purpose flour. It’s also less likely to develop large air bubbles during baking compared to all-purpose flour, which makes cakes and other baked goods more delicate and light.
2. Why You Should Make Your Own Cake Flour Substitute?
Homemade cake flour substitutes are cheaper than store-bought varieties — you can make 2 cups of homemade cake flour substitute for less than $1. In addition, these types of blends last for months when stored in an airtight container.
3. How do I substitute self-rising flour for cake flour?
To use self-rising flour in place of cake flour, omit the baking powder from your recipe and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of self-rising flour added to your recipe. Self-rising flours are also typically lower in protein than cake flours so you may need to increase other ingredients as well (such as eggs) to get a similar rise out of your baked goods.
4. How much flaxseed can I use as a substitute for one egg?
You can use 1 tablespoon of flaxseed powder as a substitute for one egg in baking. Mix them thoroughly with 3 tablespoons of water and let them rest for 15 minutes before adding it to the recipe.
5. What can I use instead of cake flour?
Cake flour is a special type of flour that has a low protein content. It is made from soft wheat and has a more rounded texture than all-purpose flour. It’s usually labeled as “cake flour” or “soft wheat” on the package.
6. How much do I need?
A cup of cake flour will weigh between 4 and 5 ounces. This means you’ll need 2 cups of cake flour to replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour in most recipes. To make the substitution, use 2 parts cake flour to 1 part cornstarch (or potato starch) and 1 part tapioca starch.
In Conclusion
It is possible to substitute cake flour in baking. Cake flour is de-germinated, keep in mind that cake flour is lower in protein than other flours and reacts differently to liquid. In this case, less really is more. You need to add enough liquid for a good batter to form instead of too much, which would make your cupcakes or muffins dry or crumbly.