Can you tell the difference between cake flour vs. pastry flour? Have you failed many times because you chose inappropriate flour? If yes, don’t worry. You have me now. You will have a better understanding of flour sorting after finishing this article.
And who knows? This post may serve as a foundation for a future great baker.
Even if you have no interest in baking, you may still read this post. Since different varieties of flour contain varying quantities of gluten, you may use this information to adapt your diet.
What Is Pastry Flour?
You cannot begin a project when you know nothing about that project. Before determining whether or not to buy pastry flour, you need first to understand what pastry flour is.
Pastry flour, also known as cookie flour, is soft flour milled from either soft white wheat or soft red winter wheat. Usually, whole wheat pastry flour is made from soft white wheat.
What Is Cake Flour?
If you are not into baking, you will easily confuse cake flour with pastry flour because of their similarities. Actually, cake flour is not much different from pastry flour.
Cake flour is made from finely milled soft wheat and has a high carbohydrate content but a low protein level. As a result, people sometimes refer to cake flour as low-protein flour or low-gluten flour.
It Turns Out They Share The Same Nature
As I said before, cake flour and pastry flour are really similar. Because of these similarities, your recipes require pastry flour in many cases, but you may not have any at home, and cake flour will be a great replacement. Oh, but I’ll talk more about this later.
The first similarity between these two flours is that they are both finely milled from soft wheat. They are high in carbohydrates and low in protein. Also, the texture of cake bakes with either of them is fluffier and airier when compared to other flours.
How Can You Distinguish These Flours?
Everything in this world is unique in its way. Finding two objects to be 100% identical is a challenging task. Therefore, despite their similarities, cake flour and pastry flour still have unique qualities.
The table below summarizes the main contrasts between cake flour and pastry flour. You can watch it to get an overview of the qualities of these two flours.
The First Difference: Protein Value
Protein is a vital nutrient for human biological development. It is essential for the growth of your body. When it comes to food, protein is the first thing to consider.
The protein level of the flour is one of the conditions for classifying flour. Protein content varies according to the type of flour used. The higher the protein level of the flour, the stiffer the texture.
By that, I mean the lower the protein percentage of the flour, the more fluffy, soft, and spongy the cake will be.
Cake flour contains less protein than pastry flour. In fact, cake flour has the lowest protein content of any flour. The protein level of cake flour ranges from 5% to 8%. Meanwhile, the protein content of pastry flour ranges from 8% to 9%.(1)
Although they are both low-protein flour, you should put them on a different par. Why? Because using various flour will produce different textures regardless of how minor the protein variance is.
The Secret To Success – The Textural Distinction Of The Cake
There are detailed textures required for various cake types. Baking crumby birthday cakes or fluffy biscuits is impossible. Just keep in your mind one thing: different cakes, different flours.
Unlike wheat flour, cake flour is often thoroughly milled to ensure that the flour particles are as fine as possible. It increases the surface area of the cakes and enables more air to be retained. The more air that is confined, the lighter the texture.
Pastry flour is less milled than cake flour. As a result, sweets baked using pastry flour retain their softness and flexibility while still being firmer than those made with cake flour.
Their Usage
The various properties of cake flour and pastry flour will affect the finished goods. Many recipes will require matching flour to make high-quality cakes.
Cake flour can absorb a certain amount of liquid, which helps the cake keep moisture when baking. Because of that, it is an ideal choice for, well, cakes. Recipes like Angel cake or Chocolate chiffon are good choices to try with cake flour.
However, cake flour absorbs and releases heat quickly. Therefore, even if you leave your cake at room temperature, it will cool soon.
Pastry flour has lower absorption when compared to cake flour. It comes between cake flour and bread flour in the flour hierarchy. Since then, pastry flour has been commonly used in making pastries, muffins, biscuits, and pie crusts.
Now, if you want to bake some delicious cookies for the fall, you know which flour is the best option.
Which Is Healthier?
Yes, the delicious cakes will stimulate your appetites and quickly make you excited by their sweetness. Even so, the health issue is still a primary concern that everyone must consider. So, is the flour used to bake those lovely dessert varieties as healthy as people believe?
Is Cake Flour Good For Your Health?
Unfortunately, cake flour is not as healthy as you may think. It has a minimal nutritional value, mainly consisting of carbs. The bleaching procedure of the cake flour is responsible for this.
Cake flour is frequently bleached with chlorine gas before being put to use, resulting in the loss of most nutrients, such as vitamins, protein, and fiber.
Furthermore, consuming a lot of cake flour would increase your risk of getting diabetes. It is due to the high carbohydrates of cake flour.
When you absorb a certain amount of carbs, the beta cells in the pancreas release insulin, which helps convert glucose into glycogen, lowering your blood sugar quickly.
But even so, if you consume a lot of carbs for an extended period of time, your body will eventually stop releasing insulin. Or worse, it will no longer respond to insulin. Then diabetes will be waiting for you at the end of the process.(2)
Cake flour is also unhealthy for your digestive system. The bleaching process removes vital elements, such as vitamins or fiber, and the endosperm and bran found in the flour.
You will see cake flour-based foods are more difficult to digest than regular foods, and your digestive system will suffer as a result.
Although cake flour appears harmful to your health at first glance, this is only true when you consume too much of it.
So, if you genuinely desire to bake a great cake but are concerned about the health consequences of the flour, you can now relax and enjoy those delightful sweets.
Pastry Flour – The Better Option
Finally, after hearing the bad news about cake flour, you could have some good news: pastry flour is superior to cake flour. Yes! You read it correctly: pastry flour is far healthier than cake flour.
OK, so what created the difference?
This is because of the bleaching process. In contrast to cake flour, pastry flour is just finely milled and does not go through this process.
As a result, pastry flour retains essential minerals like vitamins, protein, fiber, endosperm, and bran. These substances help you control your hunger while keeping your blood sugar levels in check.
Yet, gluten is present in both pastry flour and cake flour. It is important to find your best choice of gluten-free flour if you are allergic to gluten.
Do you want to know the manufacturing process of flour? This video will give you the answer.
But Which Flour Is Easier To Work With?
Despite the qualities of flour, there are other social elements to consider, such as price or sale location. That flour could be what you need, but it may be what you cannot afford. Let’s have a look at the other sub-factors listed below.
Where Can You Buy Them?
Fortunately, you can find both pastry flour and cake flour at any convenience store in the area. If you don’t want to drive the whole way to the store or the supermarket just for a box of flour?
That’s fine. You can order it for home delivery on the online websites of Walmart, Target, or Seven-Eleven. Isn’t it too convenient?
Money Is More Important Than Anything Else
Sure. Flour is widely available, but what if it is out of your budget? After all, pricing is still an essential factor in deciding whether or not to purchase that flour.
No one likes to spend much money on flour when they aren’t sure they can bake that batch of cakes successfully.
People are willing to accept lesser products if the price is reasonable. I’m not encouraging you to buy low-quality goods, but wise consumers always understand the market, right?
Good news: cake flour is reasonably priced. Cake flour is considerably cheaper than comparable products. Without hesitation, you can buy a box of cake flour.
Although cake flour is inexpensive, I recommend that you shouldn’t purchase any at a lower price than usual on the market. After all, the cheapest is the favorite.
For nutritional advantages, pastry flour will be substantially more expensive than cake flour. Whether the pastry flour you choose is regular or whole-wheat, its price will vary accordingly.
However, pastry flour usually costs three times more than cake flour. Some places will increase the price up to 4 times.
If you are not currently wealthy, it is not difficult to predict which flour you will pick in this case.
Can You Substitute Pastry Flour For Cake Flour?
There is a harsh reality that life does not always go as planned. Sometimes you want to make amazing cookies, but all you have in the kitchen is cake flour. And you begin to wonder if it is possible to substitute cake flour for pastry flour.
The answer is Yes. They can substitute for each other.
Still, there are several things to keep in mind. Cake flour works well in the cakes that were mentioned before. It calls for a delicate, fluffy texture.
If you don’t have cake flour on hand, you may use pastry flour, but the result will be a little denser. Even so, it’s the nearest equivalent to other flours, such as all-purpose, self-rising, or whole-wheat flours.
Since cake flour has a lower protein level than others, you may substitute pastry flour with a higher protein type. To make it at home, combine one cup of cake flour and two cups of all-purpose flour.
Mix them several times to ensure they are well-blended, and you’ll have a similar protein level to cake pastry flour.
However, this is only a temporary solution. The most incredible way to achieve the perfect cake is to use the suitable flour that is asked for in the recipes.
Don’t have your required flour? Check out this solution!
Is Whole Wheat Flour As Same As White Flour?
Aside from regular flour, flour is further classified into two types: whole wheat flour and white flour. Whole wheat flour is said to be healthier than other flour. But is it true? And what differentiates white flour from whole wheat flour?
What Is Whole Wheat Flour?
I believe everyone has heard about whole wheat flour at some point in their lives, especially those who enjoy cooking or need to control their diets.
Whole wheat flour is a kind of flour produced from crushed whole-wheat grains. Although there are varieties made from rye, barley, and other grains, the most common are hard and soft.
What Is White Flour?
White flour, compared to whole wheat flour, is underestimated in nutrient content. Generally, white flour is a catch-all phrase for all flours that have been bleached.
White flour is made from milled wheat grains. In contrast to whole wheat flour, white flour has lost the vitamins, minerals, and fiber included in the grain. It is primarily made up of carbs.
The Decisive Factor Is Nutritional Content
As previously mentioned, nutritional value is a primary concern for production companies when evaluating and classifying flours.
Fiber is one of the contrasts between whole wheat and white flour. Whole wheat flour contains the same fiber as wheat, whereas white flour removes most of the thread during the bleaching process.
Whole wheat flour contains vital vitamins such as B-1, B-3, and B-5, as well as riboflavin and folate. Moreover, it is higher in iron, calcium, protein, and other nutrients than white flour.
The Bleaching Procedure’s Effect On Flour
The bleaching process is to blame for the flour’s nutritional deficits. This procedure eliminates vital nutrients like B vitamins and fiber, leaving starch in the flour.(3)
But why is this process necessary? Before bleaching, the original flour generally has a light yellow wheat tint. However, because customers prefer white, the flour is bleached to suit their demands.
Indeed, the only distinction between bleached flour and unbleached flour is the bleaching procedure. It makes unbleached flour more nutritious than bleached flour.
Pastry Flour Recipes
A simple recipe helps bake a tasty cake. An overly intricate recipe will only confuse and probably fail. Check out the great recipes below!
Chocolate Muffins
Delicious chocolate cakes are always sweet lovers’ weakness. The bittersweet flavor and rich chocolate scent will impress you more than anything. Nothing beats baking your own incredible cakes! Here is a quick and super simple recipe for chocolate muffins.
Why waste money on bakeries when you can create excellent muffins at home? Don’t wait any longer!
Apple Pie
Have you ever wished you could eat lovely apple pies every day? Back in my childhood, it was my biggest fantasy. Pretty cookies with delicate leaf designs will be impossible to resist. The tasty flavor will obviously make you fall for it.
Crispy cinnamon cookies are irresistible, aren’t they? Don’t be shy! Check out this fantastic recipe right now!
Cinnamon Spritz Cookies
Do you remember the days of going to grandma’s house as a child and tasting her amazing cookies? Why not revive those priceless memories? Crispy cookies with cinnamon will be an appropriate dessert serving family and friends. Don’t put it off any longer: give it a go!
Cake Flour Recipes
Making your first cake is all you need to do to become a successful baker. The best cake recipes have already been compiled for you. Why don’t you begin producing excellent desserts right away?
Tender White Cake
A beautiful cake is necessary for gatherings, especially birthday parties. The ideal fluffy, soft cake that is amazing for birthdays or any special events but easy enough to make for daily desserts. The recipe below is what you don’t want to miss.
The easiest way to bake a white birthday cake? Let’s find out!
Chocolate Cake
A classic dessert that any sweets store or coffee shop will have. No fan of sweets should miss this exquisite dessert. Can you guess what it is?
That’s chocolate cake!
Why don’t you try baking a chocolate cake by yourself at home?
Everyone should eat this dessert at least once. Can you believe it? Find the answer right now!
Vanilla Cupcakes
For centuries, bakers have drawn incredible inspiration from the beautiful vanilla scent. Cupcakes with a sweet vanilla taste are enticing. This recipe below will make an excellent present for your cherished ones on special occasions.
The perfect gifts for your loves – Let’s jump right into it!
Other Uses For Flour
You are mistaken if you believe you can only use flour to bake cakes. Here are more relaxed and exciting flour uses. You can use either pastry flour or cake flour; both are equally helpful.
Healthy Ant Repellent
Ants may be nasty and annoying creatures at times. They can appear anywhere and attack the dishes you keep in the cupboard or even creep into your dining room. If you have ants in your home, scatter a line of flour where you notice them entering. Ants are not going to exit that line.
The Natural Dry Shampoo
It is impossible to always tidy and clean. Having public appearances with greasy, unwashed hair is especially challenging for women. All you need, in that case, is a bottle of dry shampoo. But what if you don’t have any dry shampoo at home? Let’s use flour.
The flour has an incredible capacity to absorb moisture, and the excess oil on your scalp is no exception. You only need to apply a tiny bit of flour to your hair and massage it until it no longer feels sticky.
If you have dark hair, be careful to correctly measure the amount of flour that you need to use. Otherwise, your secret will be revealed to everyone.
A Fantastic Acne Treatment
Acne is one of the most common problems people face. They can appear anywhere on your body, causing you pain and suffering or making your face lose attractiveness. Acne can be stressful to cure for both men and women. Then why not try the acne treatment listed below?
If you have a red spot that has to be removed quickly, use a paste mix of honey and flour. Cover the paste with a plaster and leave it overnight to let the combination do its job.
Next morning, thoroughly and gently wash your face. Because of the healing benefits of honey and the drying effect of flour, the spot should be way smaller.
FAQs
The preceding material has provided an overview and comprehensive understanding of cake and pastry flour. Please read the extra information below before deciding which powder to use.
You Have The Decision To Make
You should have known from the article that even cake flour or pastry flour has its advantages and disadvantages. You cannot expect everything to be perfect 100% of the time. There is an imperfection in everything in this world. Let’s make up for the defective parts with your efforts.
You’ve probably figured out which flour is ideal for you after reading this post, haven’t you? So, what are you waiting for? Go out and buy a pack of flour and bake some beautiful cakes!
I hope you found the information in this post useful. Did you find this article helpful? Then feel free to share it with everyone around you! Many people still struggle with the question: pastry flour or cake flour.
References
1. Fooddata Central Search Results (2019) FoodData Central.
2. Types of insulin (2021) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
3. Can Med Assoc J (1927) The bleaching of flour, Canadian Medical Association journal. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
