Cake Flour - April Featured Ingredient

When venturing down the baking aisle in your local market you’ve probably seen Cake Flour – April Featured Ingredient. You’ve may have seen a red box called Swans Down cake flour. This the brand my Mom used and I have used for years. Cake flour makes cakes come out light and fluffy with tender crumb and soft texture. Is that not what you want in a cake? The flour can be used for other baked goods and the results are excellent. Let’s continue our conversation about this kitchen staple.

Cake Flour – April Featured Ingredient

Cake flour is finely milled from soft wheat and has less protein than regular white flour. This flour also has less gluten seems to be the enemy of the cake. High protein and more gluten is a friend to breads not cakes. Breads are meant to have chewy textures and some more dense than others.

Less gluten means cakes rise higher as long as you measure after sifting, otherwise you’ve added more flour than the recipe called for. Now you’ll have a dry cake and one rather flat one. That is not good. Both are as enjoyable on their own merit and that’s how it should be.

Cake Flour – April Featured Ingredient

Butter Cream Pound Cake with Vanilla Glaze

Earlier I mentioned benefits of using cake flour for texture, crumb, and taste. Us cake flour in recipes when called for. If it’s listed as an ingredient in the recipe consider using unless stated by the creator as a substitute. Yes, this an ingredient you don’t normally have in the pantry. The differences are found in the eating. One of my favorite cakes is made with cake flour, Butter Cream Pound Cake with Vanilla Glaze.

That said, you can make a cake flour substitute. Incredible I know. Have I used the recipe? Absolutely, yes. I got ready to make a cake and began prepping my ingredients. Low and behold I was 1/2 cup short of cake flour for my recipe. I was not going to the market and I thought now what?

Chelle, go get your phone and Googled cake flour substitute. This recipe substitute saved my baking life that day. Easy to make and keeps well in an airtight container.

A combination of cornstarch and all-purpose flour make the cake flour substitute. The ratio is 14 Tablespoons all-purpose flour and 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch equals 1 cup of cake flour. Depending on your recipe you may have to make several batches. Buying a name brand is much easier and using the cake flour substitute in a pinch.

Cake Flour – April Featured Ingredient

Several brands of cake flour are available at your local market or online. Look for Swans Down, Pillsbury Softasilk, King Arthur Flour and Bob’s Red Mill. Try this flour and see the difference with fantastic results.

I want your baking to be a success and it all starts with the right ingredients. Your cake recipe or baked goods call for cake flour, use it. The real thing is always better. Now, onward to your recipe box and let’s go bake a cake. Happy Baking!