If you’re baking a cake, you NEED cake flour. Why? It gives you that perfect texture and crumb that you get at the bakery. But with a plethora of options out there, how do you choose the best cake flour? Fear not, I’ve done the taste-testing for you!
Today, I’ll be sharing my top picks for the best cake flours available on the market. So, let’s dive in and discover the flour that will take your cakes to the next level!
What is cake flour?
Before we dive into the floury details, let’s get a grasp on what cake flour actually is.
Unlike your everyday all-purpose flour, cake flour is a finely milled and delicate soft wheat flour specifically designed for baking tender, moist, and light-as-air cakes. Its low protein content (about 7-9%) makes it ideal for achieving that velvety crumb texture that we all adore.
Cake flour is typically bleached, which helps to whiten it, create a finer texture, and improve its baking properties. The bleaching process also alters the proteins in the flour, leading to a more tender and delicate crumb in baked goods like cakes, resulting in a nice light and fluffy texture.
How to choose the best cake flour
Here’s a sneak peek into my flour-sifting process, which helped me rank the crème de la crème of cake flours:
- Ingredients: A good cake flour should have minimal and high-quality ingredients, with no unnecessary additives or preservatives. The main ingredient should be wheat which may be enriched with vitamins and minerals.
- Consumer feedback: I paid close attention to what fellow bakers had to say about these cake flours. Positive reviews and recommendations hold a lot of weight.
- Nutrition: While cake flour isn’t exactly a health food, I considered the nutritional value of each brand to ensure we’re not consuming anything too concerning, like added sugars.
- Track record: Brands with a long-standing reputation of producing excellent cake flour were given extra points.
- Price: We all have budgets to consider, so I looked for cake flours that strike the right balance between quality and affordability.
Top 8 cake flour brands
| Overall Rank | Brand (click link to buy) | Best for |
| 1 | Swans Down Cake Flour | Overall |
| 2 | King Arthur Unbleached & Unenriched Cake Flour | Runner-up |
| 3 | Presto Enriched Self-Rising Cake Flour | Self-rising |
| 4 | Kauffman Orchards Enriched Purasnow Cake Flour | Value |
| 5 | Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Cake Flour Blend | Gluten-free |
| 6 | Pillsbury Softasilk Enriched & Bleached Cake Flour | N/A |
| 7 | Unpretentious Cake Flour | N/A |
| 8 | Pure Original Ingredients Cake Flour | N/A |
#1 Best Overall: Swans Down Cake Flour
Swans Down swoops in with its finely milled texture and consistent performance. Whether you’re baking a classic white cake or experimenting with flavors, this flour’s got your back. Its affordability is the cherry on top!
Ingredients: Enriched cake flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid).
#2 Runner-Up: King Arthur Flour Unbleached & Unenriched Cake Flour
King Arthur’s new and improved Unbleached Cake Flour produces very tender cakes with a fine, moist crumb. While it’s a bit pricier, the results are worth every penny. Be ready for compliments galore on your ultra-moist creations!
Ingredients: King Arthur Unbleached, Unenriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour). Wheat Starch.
#3 Best Self-Rising: Presto Enriched Self-Rising Cake Flour
When convenience is key, Presto Self-Rising Cake Flour comes to the rescue. This self-rising option eliminates the need for extra leavening agents, making baking a breeze.
Ingredients: Enriched cake flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid), baking powder (sodium bicarbonate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and calcium phosphate), and salt.
#4 Best Value: Kauffman Orchards Enriched Purasnow Cake Flour
Kauffman Orchards Enriched Cake Flour is perfect for commercial bakeries or home baking. The silky texture and bright crumb color will elevate your cakes to new heights. Note this is the same as General Mills Purasnow Cake Flour. This brand purchases it in bulk and repackages it into practical sized bags at a good price, saving you money.
Ingredients: Bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid.
#5 Best Gluten-Free: Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Cake Flour Blend
This gluten-free blend seamlessly replaces wheat flour (cup for cup) sparing you the hassle of adding xanthan gum in your recipes. Plus, it’s free from dairy, soy, nuts, and corn, and it’s non-GMO!
Ingredients: Rice flour, potato, tapioca flour, plant fiber (psyllium, cellulose) emulsifier (polyglycerol esters of fatty acids from vegetable fat, mono and diglycerides from plant origin).
#6 Pillsbury Softasilk Enriched & Bleached Cake Flour
Pillsbury’s Softasilk promises fluffy and tender results, perfect for those birthday cakes, cupcakes, and festive holiday treats. It’s a classic choice that has stood the test of time.
Ingredients: Bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid.
#7 Unpretentious Cake Flour
True to its name, this cake flour is a humble yet reliable option for your baking endeavors. From cakes to cookies, biscuits, and muffins, it lends a light and airy touch to all your baked goods.
Ingredients: Bleached Wheat Flour Enriched (Bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid).
#8 Pure Original Ingredients Cake Flour
I love Pure Original products because they’re free from additives, preservatives, and junk. The only thing is their cake flour is not available at most grocery stores and you have to buy it online from Amazon.
Ingredients: Bleached Wheat Flour Enriched (Bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid).
Comparing cake flour brands nutrition facts
Most of these flours have the same ingredients (bleached/unbleached enriched wheat flour), so their nutritional profiles are pretty similar. There’s just a couple of things to note…
Presto’s Self-Rising Flour adds baking powder and salt so it’s higher in sodium than the rest, with 370mg per 1/4 cup.
And Authentic Foods is gluten-free with different ingredients like rice flour, potato, and plant fiber, so it’s higher in calories, carbs, and fiber.
Here’s the nutrition info from each brands label:
| Per ¼ cup or 3 rounded Tbsp (30g) | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) | Sugar (g) | Protein (g) |
| Swans Down Cake Flour | 100 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| King Arthur Unbleached & Unenriched Cake Flour | 120 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Presto Enriched Self-Rising Cake Flour | 110 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kauffman Orchards Enriched Purasnow Cake Flour | 100 | 0 | 23 | <1 | 0 | 3 |
| Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Cake Flour Blend | 140 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Pillsbury Softasilk Enriched & Bleached Cake Flour | 110 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Unpretentious Cake Flour | 110 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Pure Original Ingredients Cake Flour | 110 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
