Are you tired of dense gluten-free cakes or pastries that crumble and don’t work? After years of baking (and experimenting with every blend under the sun), I created a gluten-free pastry and cake flour blend that will finally give you that soft, tender crumb and bakery-style texture, without the guesswork. Whether you are baking a layered cake, pie crust, or a delicate fruity turnover, my blend is your new go-to recipe.
❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: This homemade gluten free cake and pastry flour blend was designed to be extra light so your gluten free cake recipes turn out soft and fluffy and your gluten free pastries get those perfect, flaky layers. It is easy to make in under 5 minutes. Store it in an airtight container in your pantry for up to 3 months.
Wait until you try my new all-purpose blend in your cake and pastry recipes! When creating this new blend, I spent a long time thinking about the features I wanted. I started with my tried-and-true Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend. This DIY all-purpose blend is perfectly versatile and works in both regular and yeasted recipes. It works beautifully in cake recipes, but it was a little heavy for pastries, and I wanted this flour blend to be lighter so it would rise with the buttery layers to create real flakiness.
I tested this new pastry flour blend in my Gluten-Free Rough Puff Pastry Dough and my Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Rough Puff Pastry Dough recipes. When testing these pastry dough recipes, I was so happy to get those incredible flaky layers.
If you are looking for a well tested gluten free pastry or cake flour blend, I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised by how well this flour blend performs in your recipes.
Ingredient Notes – The Role of Each Ingredient
First, I want to give you a quick breakdown of each ingredient in this blend and why I think it is important for creating light, fluffy cakes and flaky pastries:
White Rice Flour
There are several brands that make white rice flour (and they test to make sure their blends are not cross-contaminated with wheat products. I use Bob’s Red Mill (get the bag labeled GF), Anthony’s White Rice Flour (best value), and Authentic Foods White Rice Flour (milled extra-fine).
White rice flour has a neutral flavor, and it is a fine flour that adds structure without being heavy. It is the backbone of many gluten-free blends because it helps keep the texture light.
👀 Sandi Says: Note that white rice flour and sweet rice flour are NOT the same thing. Do not use sweet rice flour in this recipe.
Sorghum Flour
The same three brands linked above make a nice, finely milled sorghum flour. Sorghum flour adds a touch of natural sweetness and a soft, almost wheat-like flavor. It mimics the softness of cake flour while keeping the crumb tender and not gritty.
Brown Rice Flour (used in moderation)
I primarily use Bob’s Red Mill and Anthony’s brands of brown rice flour. Anthony’s also has organic brown rice flour. I don’t use a lot of brown rice flour in this pastry and cake flour, but it adds a subtle nuttiness and some fiber for structure. Using just a little gives a gentle structure without weighing down your baked goods.
Potato Starch
I use Bob’s Red Mill Potato Starch because it is the easiest to find locally. Potato starch is helpful because it adds moisture and a soft, springy texture. Other starches do not add moisture the same way. This starch is one of my favorites for making tender, fluffy cakes and flaky pastries, and it keeps things light and prevents drying out.
Tapioca Starch
I have used both Bob’s Red Mill and Anthony’s Tapioca Starch brands. Tapioca starch performs a little differently than potato starch. Tapioca starch provides some stretch and elasticity. This starch helps to mimic the chewiness of gluten and contributes to that bakery-style crumb in cakes.
I have several other gluten-free flour blend recipes that I love to use in my recipes, including:
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- Gluten-Free Whole-Grain Flour Blend
- Rice-Free Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- Sorghum-Free Gluten-Free Flour Blend
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These Gluten-Free Turnovers turned out so flaky using my new gluten-free pastry flour!
How to Make My Gluten Free Cake and Pastry Flour Blend (Step-By-Step)
There is not much to show since you are just combining the flours and starches, but I always find step-by-step directions to be helpful.
Step 1: Add all the flour and starches to a large mixing bowl. Add in the xanthan gum.
Step 2: When mixing multiple flours and starches together, it is very important to ensure they are thoroughly blended. If the ingredients are not properly mixed, it will affect the quality of what you are making. I mix them in several steps:
1. Whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes.
2. Use a large spoon to mix the ingredients.
3. Whisk again.
4. Pour the flour mix into a gallon-sized zipper bag and then shake it. Be sure the seal is fully closed, AND don’t shake too hard. I once had the zipper open, and I was covered in flour.
Storage Tips:
Storing homemade gluten-free flour blends is easy. It should keep fresh in your pantry for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
- You want to store this blend in either a gallon-size zipper bag or a large mason jar.
- The container or bag should be sealed to be airtight.
- I store my flour in the pantry.
- If you store it in the refrigerator, you must let the flour come to room temperature before using it in my recipes. (Otherwise, it will affect the moisture of your cake or pastry.)
Gluten-Free Recipes Using this Blend:
- Gluten-Free Flaky Pastries
- Fluffy Gluten-Free Apple Bundt Cake
- Gluten-Free Rough Puff Pastry
- Gluten-Free Cheese Danish (This recipe can be made in two ways: with yeasted dough or with a rough puff.)
- Gluten-Free Turnovers (linked under the photo above of the turnovers.)
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this recipe? Drop a comment below and let me know how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Homemade Gluten-Free Pastry and Cake Flour Blend
Ingredients
- 3 cups white rice flour 338.7 grams
- 1 cup sorghum flour 152.1 grams
- ¾ cup brown rice flour 128.1 grams
- 1 ½ cups potato starch 234.1 grams
- 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch 168.4 grams
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
Method
- Combine 3 cups white rice flour, 1 cup sorghum flour, 3/4 cup brown rice flour, 1 1/2 cups potato starch, 1 1/4 cups tapioca starch, and 2 teaspoons xanthan gum to a large mixing bowl.
- When mixing multiple flour and starches together, it is very important to ensure they are thoroughly blended. If the ingredients are not properly mixed, it will affect the quality of what you are making.
- Whisk the ingredients for 1 minute. Use a large spoon to mix the ingredients, then whisk again.
- Pour the flour mix into a gallon-sized zipper bag, seal the bag, double-check it, and shake it. Do NOT tip the bag fully upside down while shaking. The weight of the flour mix can make the zipper open a little. (Trust me on this, I was coated in flour!)
Nutrition
Notes
- You want to store this blend in either a gallon size zipper bag or a large mason jar.
- The container or bag should be sealed to be airtight.
- I store my flour in the pantry.
- If you store in the refrigerator, you must let the flour come to room temperature before using it in my recipes. (Otherwise it will affect the moisture of your cake or pastry.)
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
hi, what is the measurement of one serving in your nutrition facts?
ty
Hi, The recipe card makes us put nutritional value in, but a serving is really relative depending on what you are making with the flour. I guesstimated the quantity of servings based on if someone were to use this flour blend to make something…24, depending on size. So the nutritional information is for one serving in the recipe
Can you swap the brown rice flour for millet flour in this recipe?
I’m curious if you could do that or not.
Hi Wesley, individual grains behave differently, and I haven’t tested millet flour. I am sorry I am unable to advise. If you do try it, please come back to let me know how it turns out.
Hi Sandi, Thanks for sharing this. How many grams per cup would this be? Thank you.
Hi Kathie, I think you saw my email, but I will list the grams here as well. 1 Cup of my gluten-free pastry and cake flour equals 143.9 grams.