There are so many different flours available, it is not always easy to know what flour to pick for your baking!



I use 3 kinds of flours if not mentioned otherwise!

All-purpose flour:

 

All-purpose flour is used most of the time in my sponge cake recipes, The protein content of all-purpose flour is between 9 to 12 %. I use an all-purpose flour with 9% protein content which often is called “pastry flour”

 When buying “all-purpose flour” always check the gluten levels by looking at the protein as a percentage on the nutrition information panel. Low protein such as 9% will provide a much tender texture in your cake sponge cake layers.

Bread flour:



has a higher protein content of about 11 to 13 % protein.

In Scandinavia, we don’t have bread flour but they do sell a flour called Manitoba Cream similar to bread flour ( strong flour) it has a protein content of 11,5 %.

Whenever I bake bread or sweet rolls I use Manitoba Cream ( bread flour) The higher the protein content, the more gluten the flour produces. And gluten is what gives sweet rolls and bread structure.

You can, of course, use all-purpose flour it has about 9 to 11% protein content, but if possible and you can find use a flour close to an 11 to 13% protein content whenever you make sweet rolls or bread.

Cake flour:



has a very low-protein content of 6 to 8 % it makes cake softer and fluffier.

I use it whenever I make angel food cake or white cake in 2 typical American recipes.

I use cake flour from the brand “Swans Down” Their cake flour is bleached.

In the UK, they sell white cake flour from the brand Shipton Mill it is called Organic White Flour. You can find it on amazon.co.uk 

In Scandinavia/Europe, they don’t sell bleached cake flour; the only flour close to cake flour is Pâtisserie flour is has a protein content of 9,5 %. Their flour is not bleached and will not give the same results as Cake flour, and in Denmark, they sell kage hvedemel ( cake flour unbleached) with 9 % protein content from the brand Valse Møllen.

You can make a cake flour substitute sears for a DIY recipe on the app.