Serious question, I used to think cake flour was just a scam for fancy bakers.

I tried making my grandma's angel food cake with regular flour three times and it was always dense and gummy. After a total fail last Tuesday, I finally bought a box of Swans Down and the difference was like night and day. Has anyone else had a specific recipe that just wouldn't work until you used the 'right' ingredient?

3 comments

3 Comments

victorb741mo ago

So is it really that big a deal for most home baking?

the_hugo1mo ago

Professional bakers weigh flour because a cup can vary by 20 grams.

-1

markhall1mo ago

Oh man, I had the exact same thing happen with pie crust. I used all-purpose for years and it was just okay, kind of tough. Switched to a lower protein flour and it was a total game changer, so flaky. I mean, I guess for some stuff it doesn't matter, but for those really specific old recipes, they were built around that one thing. It's wild how much it can change the whole texture.