We recently received this great question from Diana Odenbrett. What is the equivalent of switching a cake recipe from regular flour to cake flour? Test Kitchen to the rescue!

To substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour, reduce the amount of flour called for by 2 Tbsp. per cup.  In a pinch and out of cake flour.  Whisk together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 Tbsp. cornstarch to equal 1 cup cake flour.

Cake flour is soft wheat flour with low protein content.  What does this mean to a novice baker?  It’s more forgiving than all-purpose flour. If you make a mistake and over mix the batter, the cake’s texture won’t be tough after baking. Less gluten is developed, and for cakes this is a critical factor – it means a soft, tender crumb. Cake flour is bleached, which explains its very bright, white appearance.