So I'm really sorry if I offend the professionals on this one but i'm just wondering what the difference is between cake flour and all purpose flour?

thanks Beth

I believe cake flour is finer and has been sifted more than all -purpose flour.

Cake flour contains less gluten and a finer grid which produces a more tender texture. The results will not be the same.

Cake Flour Substitute (does not work in all recipes):

1 cup all-purpose flour (preferably bleached) minus 2 tablespoons
add 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

Combine well.

thank you very much...i wasn't planning on substituting at all I was just wondering if there was a difference besides price.

Thank you so much~
Beth

Well, I added that because you never know who will next ask that question. We all read these posts and we all benefit from them, even if it's not our thread.

Glad I could help!!

I very rarely use homemade cakes. Like someone said I find that they are dryer, and sometimes less tasteful, but I never tried Softassilk, will have to get some to see if it makes a difference.
I just seem to think the majority of people I do cakes for want a cake mix cake.... and since I doctor them up sometimes they rave how moist and great the cake tasted, so at least I find comfort in that. But I will definately try cake flour next.

if anyone does use cake flour let me know how your cakes come out!!

I've tried SoftASilk (Family tradition...lol)...And I think the cake was rather dry...How many of you use the Super Enhanced recipe that I've seen posted...

I use it when making my banana cake and other homemade cakes. It does make a difference. most of my cakes are from doctored mixes, but I do make the occasional scratch cake.

When making zucchini bread, carrot bread, pumpkin bread, all of that sort of bread, I use 1/2 bread flour and 1/2 cake flour. Very good!

When I use my "stretching a cake mix" recipe, I use cake flour.

Well, I bake from scratch almost exclusively and I would say that even when you adjust the amounts when you are substituting one for another, generally you will not get results as good as when you use what the recipe calls for. So my rule of thumb is use what is called for unless you absolutely have to substitute. Recipes are designed around ingredients, because of the difference in the gluten in the one flour from the other, then the sugar, eggs and other leavenings were adjusted to accomodate the chemical affect of the various ingredients involved. Generally you cannot just substitute cake flour in a recipe calling for all-purpose even when making the adjustment. You most definitely cannot just subsitute one for the other in the same amounts.
Most commercial bakeries do use a cake flour specifically designed for commercial use and their recipes are also designed for commercial use. Bear in mind that commercial bakeries and also domestic bakers in some countries use scales to weight their ingredients and therefore 8 ounces of weight of flour is totally different than 8 ounces measured by dry measuring cup.
The dryer cake that you are describing when you substituted cake flour for all-purpose, is the most common result.
Incidentally, I have a huge collection of cookbooks and recipes and have tried out many using cake flour in place of the all-purpose both in equal measure and adjusted measure and I have only ever had one result that I felt came out even close to what it was when made according to the original instructions.
Also, cake flour varies a lot from one country to another, as does commercial to domestic, so bear that in mind.
So though your cakes may well "turn out", they will not be a comparable product if you are fussy about texture and moisture and even baking etc., qualities which matter more to some than to others, I am learning, haha! So how picky are you, haha?
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes