Dry Yeast >> Fresh Cake Yeast Conversion

If a recipe calls for dry yeast and you need to convert to fresh cake yeast, follow the step-by-step guide below.

Fresh ‘Cake’ Yeast for home bakers is found in the dairy section of grocery stores. It is sold in 2-ounce packages. (*see note below for larger packages of cake yeast).

One 2-oz. cake yeast is equal to three packets (¼-oz. or 2 ¼ teaspoons each) of dry yeast.

Divide cake yeast into 3 equal pieces. If you have a scale, each piece is 0.67 oz (18.9 g).

Each cake yeast piece is equal to one packet (or 2 ¼ teaspoons) of dry yeast.

You may crumble the fresh yeast directly into the flour with other dry ingredients, then add lukewarm liquids.  Or if you prefer to ‘proof’ your yeast, crumble the fresh yeast in ½ cup of lukewarm water with 1 tsp. sugar.  Stir and let stand 5 – 10 minutes, until it foams.  Reduce the liquids in the recipe by ½ cup since you are adding ½ cup liquid with the yeast.

*NOTE: If you have a 1-pound block of cake yeast, first divide it into 8 equal pieces – each piece will be a 2-ounce block. Then follow directions above for each of the 8 pieces.

Some bakeries may sell a ‘chunk’ of fresh yeast. If you don’t have a scale, a 2-ounce cake yeast is about the size of ½ stick of butter.

If you can’t find it at your local store, please ask the dairy manager to order it in.

More information on Fresh Cake Yeast:

 

shadow-ornament
On May 7, 2020   /   Blog   /   19 Comments
shadow-ornament
19 Comments
  1. Anita Bononno
    1:13 pm on March 29, 2021

    THANK YOU for showing so easily how to convert cake yeast to dry yeast. Very much appreciated.

    Reply
  2. Camille
    11:49 am on February 21, 2021

    I have found it very difficult to read the weight line.because it is printed in white instead of black or dark navy blue.

    Reply
    • Carol Stevens
      1:00 pm on February 21, 2021

      Hi Camille – what weight are you looking for? The product weights are listed in the page’s text above the first picture.

      Reply
  3. M J Mandler
    10:22 pm on December 14, 2020

    have an old family recipe that calls for cake yeast but I cannot find cake yeast. How can I convert dry yeast to cake yeast?

    Reply
  4. John Peysen
    1:57 pm on September 22, 2020

    love to bake

    Reply
  5. Victoria
    5:09 pm on September 10, 2020

    What is the conversion from instant yeast to your yeast?

    I would like to bake the pumpkin roll.

    Thank you.

    Reply
  6. Teresa
    3:28 pm on July 1, 2020

    I’m a Big Fan of your yeast and recipes!!!!

    Reply
  7. Sue Molitor
    8:49 pm on May 9, 2020

    I bought fresh yeast from a bakery. I was afraid to use it. I read somewhere that you should use 1/3 less cake yeast than dry. How l

    Long can you freeze it? Anyway it worked great. Thanks for putting this in stores for us.

    Also I am enjoying reading your recipes. Tried a couple, turned out well

    Reply

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