This cake and pastry flour substitute will elevate your baking. It helps produce light, airy cakes and flaky, tender pastries. Learn how to make an effective substitute at home with just two ingredients.
* This post was updated with new photos
Hello and welcome back to another installment of Ingredients I Always Need But Never Have. If you bake frequently, you know that specialty flours like cake flour or pastry flour often sit on long shopping lists yet rarely make it into the pantry. They can be hard to find in stores or are sold in large quantities you won’t use quickly.
The good news: you can easily make an excellent cake and pastry flour substitute at home with just all-purpose flour and cornstarch. This simple swap is fast, economical, and gives you finer, lower-protein flour that improves texture in cakes, cupcakes, muffins, scones, and pie crusts.
Why choose cake and pastry flour?
Cake and pastry flour is milled finer and has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour. Lower protein means less gluten development during mixing, which translates to a softer crumb and a more delicate, tender finished product. For cakes, cupcakes, and many pastries, that difference is noticeable: cakes rise with a lighter texture, muffins have a finer crumb, and pie dough becomes flakier.
Cake and pastry flour versus all-purpose flour
You can usually bake with all-purpose flour without disaster, but many recipes benefit from the lighter structure of cake or pastry flour. Using a substitute improves tenderness and crumb without changing recipe technique. If you prefer to use weight measurements, aim for slightly lower protein content when possible, and remember to spoon and level if you measure by cups to avoid compacted flour.
How to Make Cake and Pastry Flour
5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Mimi
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup flour
Description
This homemade cake and pastry flour substitute is perfect when you want tender, delicate baked goods but don’t have a specialty flour on hand. Using just all-purpose flour and cornstarch produces a finer, lower-protein flour that yields lighter cakes, softer cupcakes, and flakier pastry dough.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Note: For larger quantities, use the same ratio: remove 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour for every cup, and replace it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. For best results, measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling, or use a kitchen scale.
Cook Mode: Use as needed while baking to keep your screen awake and recipe visible.
Instructions
- Measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour into a dry measuring cup. Remove 1 tablespoon of the measured flour and return it to the flour container (you will replace it with cornstarch).
- Place the remaining measured flour and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into a medium bowl.
- Whisk the mixture thoroughly until well combined. For the best texture, sift the mixture once or twice before using to aerate and break up any lumps.
Scaling tip: If you need 2 cups of cake/pastry flour, remove 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. For larger batches, keep the 1 tablespoon cornstarch per 1 cup flour ratio.
Equipment
Fine mesh strainer or sifter (for aerating and sifting)
Mixing bowls and a whisk
Notes
* Sifting the final flour blend is recommended. Sifting makes the flour lighter and closer in texture to commercial cake or pastry flour.
* Store your homemade cake and pastry flour the same way you store regular flour and cornstarch: in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use by the earliest best-before date of the ingredients.
* For precision baking, weigh ingredients. One cup of all-purpose flour is roughly 120–130 grams depending on how it was measured; adjust as needed for your recipes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Basics
Enjoy!