Are pastry flour & cake flour interchangeable?

Question

Miss_Karen · Answer

Ladies, thank you for your input!
I thought pastry flour would be a good substitution for the cake flour in Fresh Cherry Bundt cake.
I didn't have cake flour, but I have a multitude of other flours...
The cherry Bundt cake needs work - something other than a mere flour swap. (I won't be making THAT again.)
BTW according to Dorie Greenspan AP flour can be substituted for cake flour by reducing AP by 2 TBSP per cup.

Stephanie B. · Answer

Echoing Ella, it depends on the recipe. Cake flour has the lowest gluten, but pastry flour is also pretty low. So I'd stick to cake flour for something that's supposed to be uber-fluffy, like a tender white cake, but for something that can be less delicate I wouldn't be too picky about the flours. I can't ever recall using pastry flour actually, and every pastry-like recipe I've made (think pie crusts, tarts, anything that's supposed to be "short") called for AP flour. Curious to know if other people make better use of pastry flour.

Ella Q. · Answer

Hi Miss Karen,My understanding is that cake flour has even LESS protein than pastry flour—so you technically wouldn't want to use pastry flour in an especially delicate cake. That said, pastry flour is a very low protein flour as well, so would be a close sub. Also, I find that swapping flours rarely ruins something, and often leads to an even more nuanced or interesting result. Ella

Are pastry flour & cake flour interchangeable?

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