On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 00:26:02 GMT, "Vox Humana" >
wrote:

>
>"Gizmo" > wrote in message news:geAFe.79$1E.48@trndny04...
>> I wanted to try making an Angel food cake. The recipe calls for "cake
>> flour". I scoured 3 supermarkets near me including Whole foods but was
>> unable to find it. I found "Pastry Flour" is this the same?
>>
>> I never realized there were so many types of flour!
>>
>> Thanks!
>
>Cake flour is very low in gluten forming proteins. It is always(?) bleached
>and finely milled. The pH is low because of the bleaching. All this
>combines to give a tender crumb. Pastry flour can be white or whole wheat,
>is not as finely ground, and can be bleached or not. It is higher in
>protein than cake flour. All purpose is yet higher in protein.
>
>Cake flour is sold in 2 pound boxes and is usually stocked in an
>inconvenient location because it isn't a big seller. If you weren't looking
>for a BOX of flour, you may have missed it. In a pinch, you can replace two
>tablespoons of AP flour with corn starch, for each cup of flour specified.
>Every supermarket in my area carries cake flour. Soft as Silk and Swan's
>Down are the two brand I'm familiar with.
>
>For an angel food cake, I would try for the cake flour.
>
>
It all depends on where the original poster lives. In Canada (where we
have Whole Foods stores) I've never, ever seen any kind of flour --
cake or otherwise -- sold in a box. In the States or the U.K. (where
they also have Whole Foods stores) who knows? While I've shopped in
lots of American grocery stores, I've never gone looking for baking
supplies.

Here cake flour is generally sold in smaller bags (I can't recall the
exact measure and since I happen to be out at the moment -- it's on
the list for tomorrow's shop). I've used both Monarch and Red Rose
with equal success. It usually depends on which grocery store I'm in
which brand I find, but most grocery stores here do sell some type of
cake flour.
--Vic