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UK Bakers!

post #1 of 10
1/20/13 at 5:22am
Thread Starter 

Ok... so cake flour... is this available here? Keep looking and finding every kind of flour imaginable... but not "cake flour".... there was one flour that said for light cakes, but has baking powder or is essentially like self-raising flour... arghh! Am I missing something? What exactly is in cake flour that makes it cake flour, as opposed to normal flour! lol! Sorry if this is a really obvious (read that STUPID) question... but it's driving me insane. I'm on a search for finding the perfect moist light fluffy vanilla recipe to have as my go-to... and all the ones that seem like they would work... call for... wait for it... CAKE FLOURRR! I've tried doing the whole "cake flour substitute"  - replacing 2tbsp flour with 2tbsp cornstarch for every cup of flour needed... and sifting it a gazillion times.. still get blah results...  Helpppp!! (or send me a perfect vanilla cake recipe that doesn't need it? that would work for me too! hahaha!)

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Vicky

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post #2 of 10
1/20/13 at 5:36am
Cake flour isn't available in the UK because its made using a bleaching process that is prohibited there. I've seen potato flour suggested as an alternative to corn starch, maybe try that?
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post #3 of 10
1/20/13 at 5:56am
Cake flour is a lower protein flour. Less protein means less gluten formation which makes a more tender cake. I don't buy cake flour, just the cheap store brand. It seems to be lower in protein than the name brands. Check the nutrition labels. The less protein, the better. For cakes anyway. For bread, you want lots of gluten for structure.

Self raising flour is usually a lower protein flour because its usually used to make tender biscuits and pancakes (in the US, at least). You might want to give it a try. You will have to adjust the leavening and salt in the recipe.
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post #4 of 10
1/20/13 at 7:22am

Do you have "pastry" flour? It will also be a lower protein flour, without leavening.

 

If not--

 

--there was a UK recipe posted some time ago for making your own cake flour by cooking regular flour in a microwave.  Try using google

 

--look at www.kingarthurflour.com under recipes for many cake recipes using yogurt and regular flour.  The yogurt tenderizes the gluten, but you MUST use the regular creaming method to keep the cake tender.

 

--adding gluten-free substitutes works only if you are weighing your flour.  You replace 25% of the flour BY WEIGHT with gluten-free flour like corn, rice, potato, tapioca, premixed GF.  NOT by volume.

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post #5 of 10
1/20/13 at 10:36am
You can use mcdougalls sponge flour (self raising- just sub out some of the baking powder in the recipe) or use mcdougalls 00 pastry flour (no added leavening).
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post #6 of 10
1/21/13 at 1:50pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks everyone for your replies! Will have to do some experimenting with the various techniques you've mentioned like the microwaving and trying the recipes with the mcdougalls pastry flour or even the sponge flour but subbing out the baking powder in the recipe.  Any idea how much I'd need to sub out? or do I need to just play around with it??

 

Thanks again for all your help! So interesting how different countries have such different methods and ingredients due to what the Health&Safety/FDA etc would/wouldn't allow! Hmmm.... 

 

Vicky

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post #7 of 10
1/22/13 at 12:49am
Ooooo this is interesting. I thought cake flour meant normal self raising/plain opposed to the stronger bread flour.

Have you tried making a chiffon cake, that is a different method and is VERY light.

On a side note, hubby went shopping a the weekend and I had an American recipe I wanted to try so put some ingredients on the shopping list including "baking soda" Poor hubby couldn't find it so went round every supermarket (asda, sainsburys, tesco, m&s,lidl) in town trying to find it for me in all that heavy snow. he got home shivering and disappointed he couldn't find it as I had promised him a hot batch of cinnamon rolls and then it hit me that baking soda is actually bi carbonate of soda and I have a ton of it in the Store cupboard.
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post #8 of 10
1/22/13 at 1:23am

For a lighter sponge I would often mix SR flour with gluten free 50-50 and add a little extra liquid, it's great for citrus cakes especially but terrible for carving :)

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post #9 of 10
1/22/13 at 3:27am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollybello View Post

Ooooo this is interesting. I thought cake flour meant normal self raising/plain opposed to the stronger bread flour.

Have you tried making a chiffon cake, that is a different method and is VERY light.

On a side note, hubby went shopping a the weekend and I had an American recipe I wanted to try so put some ingredients on the shopping list including "baking soda" Poor hubby couldn't find it so went round every supermarket (asda, sainsburys, tesco, m&s,lidl) in town trying to find it for me in all that heavy snow. he got home shivering and disappointed he couldn't find it as I had promised him a hot batch of cinnamon rolls and then it hit me that baking soda is actually bi carbonate of soda and I have a ton of it in the Store cupboard.
Hiya Hollybello! Never tried chiffon cake... must put that on my to-do list.  Had to giggle at the baking soda incident! Bless your hubby for trying so hard! And in this snow!!! Hope you made those cinnamon rolls for him? How did they turn out? If any good... recipe please in a message? haha! And on a side note.... I notice where you are based... and it made me giggle that CC had to *** out the last 3 letters due to censorship! hahaahahah!! Too funny! Thanks again everyone for your input!! 
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post #10 of 10
1/22/13 at 8:43am
Hello. Yes I did make two batches of the cinnamon rolls, I used a recipe from pioneer woman blog which I came across via bakerella. Here is the link http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/.

I would highly recommend making these as they were DIVINE and so easy! I halved the recipe and then made another batch the following day.

Lol it is rather obscene being from E.s.s.e.x.
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