Scratch Bakers- Cake Flour Or All Purpose Flour?
Decorating By Ladybug6509 Updated 11 Jul 2007 , 1:35am by miriel
How many of you use regular all purpose flour in your scratch recipes, even those that call for cake flour? Do you notice a difference in the cake if you use all purpose instead of cake flour? If you have a scratch recipe that call for all purpose but use cake flour instead does it make a difference?
I rarely use cake flour mostly because my scratch recipes tend to be high-ratio cakes. The only time I use a cake flour is if a delicate texture is absolutely imperative to me, like in a chiffon or sponge.
I definitely see a difference in the texture and density if I use AP in a normally CF recipe.
HTH
OH I WISH that I had gotten good pictures the one time I made the same recipe, back to back, one with cake flour and one with all-purpose flour! They pics didn't turn out at all.
I had the two, sitting side by side because I had run out of cake flour but needed to continue baking more cakes. I was so surprised when I went to torte them, what a difference there was.
Now I only use Cake Flour when it is called for. It's a much finer texture, which I personally like, makes the cake more melt-in-your mouth.
I feel kind of stupid asking this but, can you substitute cake flour for all purpose in any cake recipe? Or does it have to specifically call for cake flour?
You can substitute either one for each other. You use a little bit of a different amount but I'm not sure how much different. If you look on the back of the cake flour box it should tell you so many cups of cake flour each such an amount of all purpose.
I am a cake flour girl. My MIL taught me when I got married 13 years ago to use it. She claimed that is all her mom ever used because she claimed it was the best.
I used whatever is called for in the recipe.. some recipes require a more heavy crumb..
I also use whatever is called for in the recipe.
When I use All-purpose flour I use only the best unbleached flour, like King Arthur or Robin Hood. I have run out and had to use other brands and the quality is just not there. If I can't get cake flour I've used double-sifted AP flour and it works very well. Because of where I live I've had to learn to improvise on many things, so I try to keep a good stock of flour, among other essentials.
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