I made a post a couple of weeks ago about how my 12" layers using my usual recipe were crumbling. I couldn't understand why, because the only thing I changed was the vanilla. Well I just realized something, and you tell me if this could be it..
I didn't put cornstarch in. I don't use cake flour, so I use AP and add in cornstarch. Could that have been the culprit?
Did you use less flour to make up for the added corn starch. I was reviewing one recipe to make cake flour out of all purpose and it called for 1 3/4 c of ap flour and 1/4 c cornstarch. You are supposed to mix them together and then measure out.
That's probably it. If you substituted cornstarch for flour, the cornstarch won't produce gluten and will give you a crumblier texture. It depends on how much of it you substituted for flour, but that sounds like the most likely reason it happened.
If you want to substitute AP flour for cake flour, just take out 2 Tbsp. of flour for each cup that you use, and it will work the same as the cake flour. No cornstarch required. I checked on "ba ki ng 911.com", and they say to add the cornstarch, but you don't need to.
Handy cake troubleshooting charts:
http://tinyurl.com/2p5bdu
http://tinyurl.com/32goqe
http://tinyurl.com/6c745g
http://tinyurl.com/6lpjww
HTH
I made a post a couple of weeks ago about how my 12" layers using my usual recipe were crumbling. I couldn't understand why, because the only thing I changed was the vanilla. Well I just realized something, and you tell me if this could be it..
I didn't put cornstarch in. I don't use cake flour, so I use AP and add in cornstarch. Could that have been the culprit?
Do the grocery stores in your area carry White Lily brand flour? It is made from soft winter wheat just like cake flour....most other brands of flour use hard winter wheat which forms more gluten and toughens cake.
I use White Lily AP all the time in the same amounts as cake flour in recipes with terrific results....and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg like cake flour does.
Watch out with the White Lily, it's a pastry flour, not a cake flour. I used it once and got a different result, so I called the company and asked what percentage of protein was in it. It was 8-9% protein, not 6%. You'll get a tougher product with it, I did notice the difference with it.
Watch out with the White Lily, it's a pastry flour, not a cake flour. I used it once and got a different result, so I called the company and asked what percentage of protein was in it. It was 8-9% protein, not 6%. You'll get a tougher product with it, I did notice the difference with it.
It's all I use and my cakes are perfect!
I don't know.
I just have an aside.
I used cornstarch in pound cake once and dude, it so tasted of corn it was alarming to me. It was a family cake to eat with a juicy fruit compote type dessert but wow wow wow was the corn flavor strong. It actually went great with the fruit but oh my oh my.
I don't know.
I just have an aside.
I used cornstarch in pound cake once and dude, it so tasted of corn it was alarming to me. It was a family cake to eat with a juicy fruit compote type dessert but wow wow wow was the corn flavor strong. It actually went great with the fruit but oh my oh my.
Wow what brand did you use? I NEVER taste corn in my cakes.
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