Pick substitutes that preserve tenderness, aeration, and even rise in cake batters. Cake structure depends on balanced fat, sugar, and hydration. Wrong swaps can create a dense or dry crumb.
Reviewed by the CupOrGram Editorial TeamSources: King Arthur Baking, USDA FoodData CentralMethodology
Can I make a cake without self-rising flour?
Yes. Start with All-Purpose Flour + Baking Powder + Salt at 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt, then adjust liquid or bake time in small steps after a test batch.
Top Recommendation
All-Purpose Flour + Baking Powder + Salt
Use 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt
Self-rising flour is milled from soft wheat at roughly 8-9% protein, so swapping in all-purpose (10-12%) for a tender pound cake or Victoria sponge develops measurably more gluten during creaming and folding — the crumb tightens from cottony to bready, and the dome cracks instead of doming smoothly. The integrated baking powder is also pre-aged, which matters when a recipe assumes a specific lift curve. For cakes specifically, the cake-flour-plus-baking-powder blend wins over straight AP, because protein content drives mouthfeel more than leavening does here.
Measure the added baking powder by weight if possible — 1 1/2 tsp per cup is a volume estimate that drifts heavy in humid kitchens, leading to a coarse, tunneled chiffon crumb.
Sift the homemade blend twice before folding into a sponge or genoise; clumped baking powder creates yellow spots and uneven rise that a pre-blended self-rising flour wouldn't.
If the cake recipe relies on creamed butter (pound cake, butter cake), cut creaming time by 30 seconds when using AP to compensate for the extra gluten activation from higher-protein flour.
How much does 1 cup of self-rising flour weigh?
On CupOrGram, 1 cup of self-rising flour is treated as 113 grams. Use the conversion page if you want the original ingredient weight before choosing a substitute.
What can I use instead of self-rising flour for cake?
All-Purpose Flour + Baking Powder + Salt at 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt is the closest match — Closest homemade replacement for most recipes. If that is unavailable, Cake Flour + Baking Powder + Salt (1 cup cake flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt).