I called cake flour a scam for years until my birthday cake disaster

I always thought using regular all-purpose flour with a bit of cornstarch was the same thing, saving a couple bucks. My stubbornness led to a dense, tough vanilla cake for my sister's birthday last month that even good frosting couldn't save. I finally bought a bag of Swans Down cake flour on a whim and tried the same recipe again. The difference was huge, it was so much lighter and had a better crumb. I guess the lower protein content really does matter for certain cakes. Has anyone else had a baking belief they held onto way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

linda_mason822mo ago

Tell yourself it's a scam right up until you serve a cake that could double as a doorstop. I was the same way, swore it was just marketing. My "light" cakes had the tender texture of a kitchen sponge. That birthday cake disaster was the final boss fight I lost. Swallowing my pride and buying the real stuff felt like admitting the sky is blue, but man, the proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the actual edible cake.

barnes.morgan2mo ago

Honestly, I still think it's a bit of a scam for how much it costs. I've had good luck just sifting my all-purpose flour really well to lighten it up. Maybe your old recipe just needed a tweak.

palmer.ryan14d ago

Last month I finally caved and bought a bag of Swans Down after 40 years of being the cheap guy. I made the same lemon cake recipe and my wife actually asked if I changed something because it came out fluffy. That was the moment I realized I'd been fighting a battle against science instead of just spending three extra bucks.