Cake flour or all purpose flour, which do you prefer to bake with? I've never used cake flour so I'm trying to see if it really makes a difference. Thanks.

Cake flour makes a great deal of difference. Since it's a low-protein flour, the batter can be worked a little harder without causing over-mixing. The crumb is also lighter when using cake flour.

But don't get the notion that you can just switch one for the other. Baking is a science. Unlike cooking, where you can add or subtract to your taste, baking is done with formulas. If the formula calls for AP flour, then that's what you should use. Unless you have experience with the two, they should not be switched.

Just my opinion -

Theresa

It's more important to use a high quality flour than to worry about the few % points between the two. I use a flour that can be used for anything from an Artisan pumpernickel to a cake with a very fine crumb. Try some of the flours fron King Arthur. I've never tried them, but have heard very good things.

Mike

I use both. Depends on what I'm baking. I currently in my cabinet have:

All-pupose flour
Soft Wheat Self-Risng Flour (for biscuits and pancakes)
Cake flour
Whole-grain pastry flour
Buckwheat flour
Whole-wheat bread flour
Regular unbleached white bread flour
Semolina (for making pasta)

Things simply turn out better when you use the correct flour for whatever you're making