Substitutions

What can I use instead of cake flour?

Finely milled, chlorinated soft wheat flour at around 7-9% protein - the lowest-protein wheat flour commonly sold.

What it does in a recipe: Minimum gluten development for the finest, most tender crumb. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.

3substitutes

2close matches

Flourscategory

Quick answer

All-purpose flour + cornstarch

1 cup cake flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tbsp, plus 2 tbsp cornstarch

All substitutes, best first

3 ways to replace cake flour

All-purpose flour + cornstarch

Closest match

1 cup cake flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tbsp, plus 2 tbsp cornstarch

Removing two tablespoons of flour and replacing them with pure starch dilutes the protein into cake flour's range, which is what actually governs tenderness.

MethodSift the two together at least twice - three times is better - so the starch is evenly distributed rather than pocketed.

Trade-offVery close, though real cake flour is chlorinated, which lets it carry more sugar and fat. A high-ratio white cake is where you might notice the difference.

BakingVeganVegetarianDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

Pastry flour

Closest match

1 cup cake flour = 1 cup pastry flour

Pastry flour sits at roughly 8-9% protein, barely above cake flour, so it behaves almost identically.

Trade-offA fractionally sturdier crumb.

BakingVeganVegetarianDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

All-purpose flour (straight)

In a pinch

1 cup cake flour = 1 cup minus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Reducing the quantity reduces the total protein, which recovers some of the tenderness even without adding starch.

Trade-offNoticeably chewier and coarser than a true cake crumb.

BakingVeganVegetarianDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

At a glance

Cake flour in summary

Cake flour at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
Category	Flours
Job in a recipe	Minimum gluten development for the finest, most tender crumb
Suits	Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free, Soy-free
Swaps available for	Dairy-free Egg-free Nut-free Soy-free Vegan Vegetarian
Number of substitutes	3

Questions

Swapping cake flour: quick answers

Can I use all-purpose flour + cornstarch instead of cake flour?

1 cup cake flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tbsp, plus 2 tbsp cornstarch. Removing two tablespoons of flour and replacing them with pure starch dilutes the protein into cake flour's range, which is what actually governs tenderness. Very close, though real cake flour is chlorinated, which lets it carry more sugar and fat. A high-ratio white cake is where you might notice the difference.

Can I use pastry flour instead of cake flour?

1 cup cake flour = 1 cup pastry flour. Pastry flour sits at roughly 8-9% protein, barely above cake flour, so it behaves almost identically. A fractionally sturdier crumb.

Can I use all-purpose flour (straight) instead of cake flour?

1 cup cake flour = 1 cup minus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour. Reducing the quantity reduces the total protein, which recovers some of the tenderness even without adding starch. Noticeably chewier and coarser than a true cake crumb.

More flours

All-purpose flour4 substitutes Almond flour3 substitutes Bread flour3 substitutes Buckwheat flour3 substitutes Chickpea flour3 substitutes Coconut flour2 substitutes

Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.