I had planned on baking a banana cake from the Cake Doctor book. I ususally bake from scratch but figured I would give cake mixes a try. I open the cupboard to find that I had not bought cake mixes, I must have thought really hard about it though, because I could have sworn I did it. 
So I then I look at the receipes here and find a scratch receipe that I want to try, open my cupboard again to find I have bought whole wheat pastry flour, not regular cake flour. 
I have a mystery container which I did not label (stupid, I know) which I suspect contains cake flour, but I am not sure. Is there any way of figuring out what it is by touch or taste? My husband is out and kids in bed, so I cannot even go to the store now. Feel like smacking my forehead on the floor, but it probably won't get this cake done any sooner.
BakingGirl
How many things could it be? Flour tastes like flour 
If it's self rising, should have a sharp baking soda flavor, otherwise it should be plain flour. Do you buy cake or all-purpose? Not sure how to tell between those.
Oh, and if it's sweet, it's sugar
HTH, it's all I can think of.
I don't think you're an idiot. Sounds like a day in my kitchen. Or does that make both of us and idiot?
Oh, well....here is what it says in "Professional pastry Chef" about cake flour:
Cake flour feels very smooth and can be pressed into a lump in your hand"
HTH
Isn't that the way it always goes when you have a plan and uninterrupted time to bake.
I'm not going to be ANY help here, but I have both AP and Cake flour and well....they look, taste, and feel exactly the same to me. See I told you, absolutely no help huh!
Is this for a customer or just for family? (which make perfect guinea pigs in my book) If it's just the fam I say give it a shot with the mystery substance, assuming you know for sure it's at least from the flour family. Maybe you'll come up with something totally unique and unusual (of course then you won't be able to duplicate it ever again) 
Thanks to you all for the moral support. Karateka, thanks for the suggestion from the book. I ran back to the kitchen and pulled out my various flour containers out and started squeezing the flours in my hand. Just as well my hubby is out or else he would have thought I had lost my mind completely. But FYI, AP, Bread Flour and Self Raising all feel smooth and can be pressed into a lump in the hand, so not confident to go by that rule. This is a cake for a customer, I am doing some old fashioned bartering with my dentist. He gets me a new tooth, and I give his son tooth-rot. I have decided to go for another receipe which calls for AP flour, and then to toss the mystery container.
See, all this disaster can be traced back to missing breakfast. I am not a person to miss a meal, but this morning I was so busy I actually forgot. Breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day!
BakingGirl
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%