Question about flour

[mhbraun]

I am going to make the Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese frosting tonight and I noticed that the recipe calls for cake flour. Is this a special kind of flour or is it the same as the stuff that I bought in the store and keep in storage for baking?

And if they are different can I substitute the regular flour for 'cake' flour?

Thanks!
Melissa

[Terrytx]

The substitute list I have says you can use regular-for one cup cake flour use 1 cup less 2 tablespoons all-purpose.

[Leisa M]

Can you post that substitution list?

[sushibones]

Cake or pastry flour is a fine-textured, soft-wheat flour with a high starch content. It makes particularly tender cakes and pastries.

Gold Medal makes a cake flour called Softasilk. It comes in a 2# box and can be found with the other flours. It may be on a top shelf rather than with the bags of flour.

Cook's Thesaurus (http://www.foodsubs.com) includes many food substitutions, as well as general information on almost any ingredient imaginable. Here is their entry for cake flour:


cake flour = soft-wheat flour   Equivalents:   4 1/2 cups cake flour = 1 pound  Includes:   self-rising cake flour   Substitutes:   pastry flour  (This has more protein than cake flour but less than all-purpose flour. Cakes made with pastry flour tend to be a bit less delicate and crumbly.) OR  all purpose flour (Substitute 7/8 cup all-purpose flour for each cup of cake flour and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for every 7/8 cup all-purpose flour used.  Cakes made with all purpose flour tend to be less delicate and crumbly.)  Hints:  These substitutions will perform better if you also do this:  (1) Mix the batter as little as possible. (2) Separate eggs, beat the whites, and fold them into the batter

[wallycat]

all-purpose flour (the stuff most people keep in the cupboard) is a blend of winter soft wheat and hard spring high gluten (for bread) wheat.
Cake flour is only the soft winter, so it has almost no gluten and makes very fluffy, light baked goods.

[Terrytx]

Originally posted by Leisa M
Can you post that substitution list?

It is just a list I cut out of a magazine some time ago. There are much better ones other places. It was just handy for answering her question.