All-Purpose Flour vs Cake flour

A side-by-side guide to substituting Cake flour for All-Purpose Flour (or vice versa).

Quick answer

Use 1.125 cup of Cake flour for every 1 cup of All-Purpose Flour.

Side-by-side

All-Purpose Flour

Base unit: cup

Read the full guide: All-Purpose Flour

Cake flour

Conversion: Use 1.125× as much (1.125 cup per 1 cup)

Tags: common

Notes: Use 1 cup + 2 tbsp per 1 cup all-purpose flour. Lower protein makes cakes and muffins more tender and delicate.

Read the full guide: Cake flour

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When to use Cake flour instead of All-Purpose Flour

Use 1 cup + 2 tbsp per 1 cup all-purpose flour. Lower protein makes cakes and muffins more tender and delicate. The conversion is use 1.125× as much (1.125 cup per 1 cup).

Common questions

Can I substitute Cake flour for All-Purpose Flour?

Yes — Use 1 cup + 2 tbsp per 1 cup all-purpose flour. Lower protein makes cakes and muffins more tender and delicate. Ratio: Use 1.125× as much (1.125 cup per 1 cup).

What's the conversion ratio for All-Purpose Flour to Cake flour?

Use 1.125× as much (1.125 cup per 1 cup). For other quantities, use the SubSwap calculator.

Are All-Purpose Flour and Cake flour interchangeable?

They are similar in most uses, but Use 1 cup + 2 tbsp per 1 cup all-purpose flour..

Is Cake flour a better substitute than other options for All-Purpose Flour?

Cake flour is one of the options SubSwap lists for All-Purpose Flour. The 'best' choice depends on your recipe — see the full list of All-Purpose Flour substitutes.

Looking for more All-Purpose Flour substitutes beyond Cake flour?

See all All-Purpose Flour swaps →