master-cooks | Is Cake Flour Really Better For Homemade Cakes?

Cake flour is a finely milled, low-protein flour that many bakers swear by for producing light and tender cakes. Its lower protein content, typically around 7-9%, compared to all-purpose flour's 10-12%, minimizes gluten formation. This reduced gluten results in a softer, more delicate crumb, making it ideal for recipes like sponge cakes, angel food cakes, and chiffon cakes. Cake flour also has a finer texture due to its milling process, which helps in achieving a smoother batter and a fluffier cake. When using cake flour, cakes often rise higher and maintain a moist and tender structure. Additionally, cake flour's ability to absorb more liquid and sugar can enhance the flavor and texture of the cake. However, not all cakes necessarily benefit from cake flour. Dense cakes, such as pound cakes, might require the structure provided by all-purpose flour. In a pinch, you can substitute all-purpose flour by removing two tablespoons per cup and adding two tablespoons of cornstarch, but the results may not be exactly the same. Ultimately, whether cake flour is "better" depends on the specific cake recipe and the texture you desire.

So why do we need cake flour?

Certain varieties of cakes benefit significantly from the use of lower-protein flour. "I find that cake flour is perfect for achieving a light, delicate crumb texture, like that of angel food cake or chiffon," explains Gordon. The airy, fluffy quality of chiffon and angel food cakes is created by incorporating air into the eggs. Making a light dessert like angel food cake is much simpler with the addition of cream of tartar, which acts as a stabilizer. Additionally, low-protein flour helps prevent gluten formation during the folding process. While these particularly airy cakes are the most common application for cake flour, it can also enhance the tenderness of various other baked goods, such as cookies.

If you choose to use all-purpose flour that you already have on hand, it shouldn't significantly impact the quality of most cakes, though it may result in a slightly coarser or denser texture. However, if you need a quick substitute for cake flour, it’s quite simple and likely involves ingredients you already possess. For every cup of flour, just replace two tablespoons with cornstarch. (If measuring by weight, remove 15 grams of flour and add 16 grams of cornstarch.)

If you decide to purchase cake flour, Gordon offers one final piece of advice: "I suggest sifting cake flour before use, as it tends to clump together."

Is Cake Flour Really Better For Homemade Cakes?

So why do we need cake flour?

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