what exactly is cake flour and can it be substituted or should I make a special trip to the store....cause I have yet to find it at my local Walmart Neighborhood Grocery.

Nana,
I'm not sure where you are, but in our Walmart its not where the regular flour is. I found it in the baking section, but its across from the flour next to the cocoa powder I've never used it so I can't help you with the first part of your question

i have used it and i dont see the difference. but i found it with the cocoa powder as well. i maybe wrong and there maybe a difference but i didnt see one.

Cake flour (or cake & pastry flour which is almost the same) differs from all-purpose flour by the gluten levels... how "hard" the flour is. Bread flour is very hard as you want the gluten for the structure of bread, but cake flour is a very "soft" flour as too much gluten makes cake tough.

You technically can substitute all-purpose for cake flour, but your cake will rise better adn be lighter and fluffier if you use cake flour. Note: you should be able to get cake flour at your grocery store, otherwise try a Bulk Barn or similar!

Thanks...I'll look on the other side of the aisle. Now I'm curious to know if its worth buying! I'm making a chocolaet cake I saw on Martha Stewart and it calls for it..so I figured I'd follow a recipe (for a change)...lol

Nana,
When you are done, will you post about how it turned out? I keep thinking I'm going to try it, but never get around to it. Thanks

You betcha! I'm doing it probably tomorrow night. I had a request for a chocolate cake for a man's 48th birthday so I'm planning to bake that, cover it with chocolate ganache, then add chocolate roses and chocolate buttercream trimwork, then maybe do his name and Happy Birthday in chocolate with gold lustre and then dust some gold lightly on the roses and leaves. His wife says he loves chocolate....I sure hope so! lol

Nana,
That sounds sooooooooooooooo good!! I've given up sugar, but I want to have chocolate cocoa puffs with chocolate milk with a chocolate poptart and chocolate icecream with chocolate sauce and a chocolate brownie for dessert I'm going to gnaw on a celery stick now..you guys are bad for my diet!!!!!

I feel your pain! I was forced to give up sugar about a year ago due to a liver condition. I had absolutely none for about 9 months, although I've cheated more times than I care to admit in the last 3 months. The good news is, giving up sugar sure helps you lose weight! lol

I use mostly cake flour for my cakes and i love it
I just wished they carried bigger bags of them
Also cake flour is over 20 times finer then all-purpose flour.
If i don't have cake flour i add cornstarch to all-purpose flour
Good luck with your cake nana2three

AShiana

If you do substitute one for the other, you have to adjust measurements. As was said, techically it can be done but with different results depending on the recipe. Cake flour makes for a more tender or delicate crum, usually you get a much less dense cake.
1 cup + 2 tbsp sifted cake flour = 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour; 1 cup minus 2 tbsp unsifted flour = 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Nana,
I gave sugar and most carbs up to lose the baby weight....I've lost 17 pounds in 1 month.I guess there is an upside of no sugar...just hard to remember that when I'm sitting in front of a chocolate cake

Thanks Squirrellycakes. I'm going to try it first with the cake flour but that's good to know for future reference!!! See....I'm glad you're here!

Heehee, you are welcome.
Haha, no, there is nothing good for you in sugar unfortunately but then, it does make you feel good to eat chocolate cake so it is food for the soul and mind, just not so great for the body, haha!
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Squirrelly I am so glad you stayed
At first i didn't know what was going on then i had to go back and read some posts i missed
Don't let anyone or anything you away from here or wilton
You are too valuble and silly at times

Happy Baking
AShiana

Who is silly, me? Haha, thanks!
Hugs Squirrelly