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Cake flour, the secret ingredient for heavenly cakes. Dive into its essence with us.
Cake flour demystified: What makes it a baker's best friend? Find out now!
Unveiling the mystery of cake flour: Your gateway to baking perfection awaits!
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Unlocking the secrets of cake flour: What sets it apart from the rest? Let's delve deeper!
Distinguishing cake flour from other common types: A guide to baking perfection!
Deciphering the differences: Cake flour versus flour types 8, 11, and 13. Let's clear the confusion!
Flour Type 8 (Pastry flour)
Flour Type 8, also known as pastry flour, is a highly popular choice in baking. What sets it apart from cake flour? It's made by blending soft and hard wheat flours, without any leavening agents. With a low gluten content (around 8% – 9%) and high moisture, pastry flour yields softer and fluffier baked goods.
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Typically, flour type 8 is used for baked goods requiring a firm texture, such as pound cakes, foam cakes, and muffins.
You might be interested: What is flour type 8 used for?
Flour Type 11 (Bread flour)
Flour Type 11, also known as bread flour, is a versatile flour with a high gluten content of around 11.5% – 13%. It interacts well with yeast during fermentation, resulting in baked goods with a firm, chewy texture. It's commonly used for making items like sandwiches, fried dough, tarts, and more.
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Flour Type 13
Similar to flour type 8 and 11, flour type 13, also known as bread flour, contains higher levels of protein and gluten (from 13% – above 13%). With a water absorption rate ranging from 65 – 67%, it's ideal for making baked goods with a crisp, crunchy crust and a chewy texture, such as bread, pizza, and donuts.
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Learn more: What delicious treats can you make with flour type 13?
3. What can you substitute for cake flour?
Due to its extremely low protein content, cake flour is often used in baked goods with a light, soft, and moist texture. However, you may not always have cake flour on hand. Don't worry, you can easily substitute cake flour with the following formula:
1 cup cake flour = ¾ cup all-purpose flour + 3 tsp cornstarch. The cornstarch is crucial as it helps reduce the protein content, resulting in a flour mixture with properties similar to cake flour.
4. What kinds of baked goods are made with cake flour?
After exploring what cake flour is and its suitability for creating moist, light, and fluffy baked goods, here are some types of cakes you can master at home with this flour.
Cupcakes
Soft, moist cupcakes with a delicate aroma and a creamy, rich frosting are always a favorite choice for dessert enthusiasts. For this cake, you'll use cake flour combined with baking powder, butter, eggs, and sugar to make the batter, which is then baked. Depending on your preference, you can add matcha powder, cocoa, or various types of dried fruits.
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Cookies
Cookies are simple and easy to make. To make these treats, mix cake flour with all-purpose flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and bake in the oven at around 160 degrees Celsius (gas mark 2) for about 10 – 15 minutes. Cookies are delicious, crispy, and perfect with tea or fresh milk.
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Swiss roll cake
Swiss roll cake is enticing with its moist, soft sponge. The fluffy, dry exterior intertwines with the sweet, light cream filling. Enjoy it with tea or pack it in a box as a lovely gift for your loved ones.
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Here are some basic facts about cake flour. Mytour Blog hopes these insights not only help you understand what cake flour is but also provide you with interesting knowledge to create exquisite cakes.
You might be interested:
- What is glutinous rice flour used for?
- What is cornmeal?
