Tuesday Tip: Cake Flour — My Great-Grandma’s 100-Year-Old Trick

This Tuesday tip: cake flour is one I am so tickled to share, because it came straight out of an old family cookbook in my great-grandma Anna Hanavan’s own handwriting — a household hint that is about a hundred years old and still works like a charm today. Anna was a Czech immigrant and a farmer’s wife out in Colorado from the early 1910s all the way into the 1970s, and tucked into that cookbook were her little notes for running a kitchen. This is the very first one I get to share, and I may be a touch nerdy, but I think it is just the neatest thing.

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Watch the full video above — or keep reading below.

Here is the hint, exactly the way Anna wrote it down: for every one cup of flour, take out two tablespoons of that flour and add in two tablespoons of cornstarch. That is the whole thing. There were no notes with it, no explanation — just those few words in her handwriting. I had no idea what it was for at first, so I did a little digging, and it turns out my great-grandma left me a hundred-year-old recipe for homemade cake flour.

That is really all cake flour is — regular flour with a little of the protein swapped out. So the next time a recipe calls for cake flour and you do not have a box in the pantry, you do not need to run to the store. You can make your own, one cup at a time, with two things you almost certainly already have on hand.

Tuesday tip: cake flour — Why This 100-Year-Old Trick Works

Cornstarch has less protein in it than flour does, and protein is what forms gluten once it gets wet and mixed. Less protein means less gluten, and less gluten means a softer, more tender, more delicate crumb — which is exactly what you want in a cake. King Arthur Baking explains the very same thing in their how-to-make-cake-flour guide: the cornstarch lowers the overall protein to mimic real cake flour, so your cakes, muffins, and quick breads come out lighter. I only wish I had known this when I made my white Texas sheet cake last week — you can bet I will be trying it on the next one.

What gets me most is that a hundred years later, standing in my own Florida kitchen cooking for a crowd, I get to use the same little trick Anna used on her Colorado farm. That is the kind of thing that makes my heart full. And it is only the first of what I hope will be many of her household hints I get to pass along to you.

Tuesday tip: cake flour FAQ — The Questions I Get Every Time

How do you make cake flour with cornstarch?

For every one cup of all-purpose flour, remove two tablespoons of the flour and replace it with two tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk or sift them together well so the cornstarch is blended evenly, then use it in place of one cup of cake flour. That is the whole trick — no special trip to the store required.

Why does this Tuesday tip: cake flour trick actually work?

It all comes down to protein. Cornstarch has less protein than flour, and protein is what builds gluten. Swapping a little flour for cornstarch lowers the protein, so your batter develops less gluten and bakes up softer and more tender.

What can I use homemade cake flour in?

Anywhere you want a softer, more delicate result — cakes, cupcakes, muffins, and quick breads all love it. I would not reach for it in bread, where you actually want that chew and structure, but for tender desserts it is wonderful.

Do I need to sift the flour and cornstarch together?

It helps. Giving them a good whisk, or a sift or two, makes sure the cornstarch is spread evenly through the flour instead of clumping in one spot. A few passes and you are good to go.

How much cornstarch do I use for more than one cup?

Just repeat the swap for every cup you need — two tablespoons of flour out, two tablespoons of cornstarch in, per cup. If a recipe calls for three cups of cake flour, that is six tablespoons of flour removed and six tablespoons of cornstarch added, all whisked together.

More Tuesday Tips You’ll Love

• Tuesday Tip: Ginger Cabbage — My Great-Grandma’s 100-Year-Old Trick — another of my great-grandma Anna’s hundred-year-old household hints: a pinch of ginger makes cooked cabbage taste better.
• Homemade Biscuits vs. Canned vs. Frozen — Is It Even Worth Making From Scratch? — I ran the real numbers on scratch baking to see if it is actually worth it.
• Tuesday Tip: Why Your Food Tastes Flat — 3 Fixes That Actually Work — three small tweaks that turn flat, fine food into something people ask about.
• Tuesday tip: cooking meat — 3 Tips to Make It Turn Out Amazing Every Time — the little things that make your chicken, steak, and pork turn out right every time.
• Tuesday Tip: Cutting Boards — How to Oil Bamboo Boards So They Last — how I bring dried-out bamboo boards back to life with a little food-grade mineral oil.

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Tuesday tip: cake flour — About Stephanie’s Tips

Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.