If you are a novice baker (or maybe even a seasoned baker), you may think that there is no difference between cake flour and all-purpose flour. Flour is flour, right? False Actually, there is a big difference between the two flours, although one of them seems to imply that it is for all purposes in the name, and in most recipes, you can't replace one with the other. If a recipe calls for cake flour when you only have all-purpose flour, there's a reason you might want to rush to the store to get that cake flour instead of making change.
The two flours, of course, share some similarities. These are two wheat flours, which means they are made from the same grains and processed essentially the same way. However, not all flours are made from the same type of wheat. The main difference between the two flours comes down to the protein content. Some wheats are tougher than others, and the harder the wheat, the higher the protein content. Since all-purpose flour is made from durum wheat, the protein content of all-purpose flour is around 10 to 12 percent, while the cake's flour content (which is made from sweeter wheat ) is about seven to eight percent.
Because high-protein flours absorb more water than low-protein flours, all-purpose flour produces a stiffer dough than cake flour when mixed with the same amount of flour. water.This is why cake flour is best for cake recipes, because you want the dough to be soft and flexible. However, if you're about to bake before you realize you're running out of cake flour, you can Replace cake flour with an all-purpose flour and cornstarch mixture. Just take a cup of all-purpose flour, remove two tablespoons, then add two tablespoons of cornstarch to create something that resembles cake flour. Trust us, your cake will thank you!
