Make Your Own Cake Flour

A classic yellow cake made with homemade cake flour

When I recently made classic yellow cake with chocolate buttercream  for 150 people,  I saved a lot of money by making my own cake flour for the recipe.

Homemade cake flour is so simple to make and works just as well as any cake flour you can purchase. It also saves you from having to store the leftover cake flour in your pantry because you can make just as much as you need to use.

I posted this cake flour recipe when I first started blogging in early 2012 and thought it was about time I posted it again. So here it is, along with my favorite recipe for classic yellow cake:

Cake Flour
For 1 cup of cake flour, measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Remove 1 tablespoon of the flour and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Sift two times before using.

Classic Yellow Cake
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch cake pans.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.

Beat in the eggs plus egg yolks, one at a time, until combined. Beat in vanilla.

In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With mixer on low, add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating to combine. Beat in 3/4 cup buttermilk, another third of the flour mixture, another 3/4 cup buttermilk, and remaining flour mixture until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter among the two cake pans.  Bake for 25 to 30  minutes in the 350 degree oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

This Strawberry Buttermilk Cake is one of my all time favorites.

It's so fresh tasting and a breeze to make and serve, making it the perfect cake for potlucks and parties. Just know that you need to make it at least a day in advance since the cake needs to chill for 6 hours before adding the cream cheese icing.

My preference is to make this cake when strawberries are in season but frozen strawberries work well too.

Here's the recipe:

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
(Serves 16 to 20)

1/2 cup butter, unsalted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 (3 oz.) package strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water

1 pound sliced strawberries (I prefer fresh but thawed frozen berries work well too.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

Beat the butter with the vanilla extract. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, buttermilk and sour cream. Mix well.

Add the baking powder and salt and mix again. Finally, add the flour and beat until thoroughly combined.

The finished batter.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

As the cake is baking, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water and add the sliced strawberries. Set this mixture aside until the cake comes out of the oven.

The strawberry mixture.

Slash the hot, just out of the oven, cake in a diagonal pattern and pour the gelatin strawberry mixture over it. Let the cake cool to room temperature and then put it in the refrigerator to cool for at least 6 hours before icing.

The hot slashed cake is ready for the strawberry mixture.

Let the cake cool at room temperature and then chill it in the fridge for at least 6 hours before icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
2 packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping cream

In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the powdered sugar and whip again until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Gradually add the cream, whipping after each addition. Don't add to much at once or it will splash. Once all the cream is added, whip the icing on high speed until it is light and spreadable.

Ice the top of the cake and that's it. Keep the cake covered in refrigerator until serving. 

Icing the cake.

The finished cake.