Difference Between Cake Flour and Pastry Flour

Cake Flour vs Pastry Flour

Wheat comes in hard and soft varieties. Cake flour and pastry flour comes in soft wheat variety. Both the cake flour and pastry flour are soft textured which produces a tender dough.

One of the main differences between cake flour and pastry flour is in the protein content. The cake flour has less protein when compared to pastry flour. Moreover, cake flour contains the lowest protein of all flours. The cake flour has protein ranging from five to eight per cent. The pastry flour has eight to nine per cent of protein. In terms of the presence of starch, the cake flour has more starch.

Though the texture of cake flour and pastry flour are almost the same, the pastry flour comes with a more pronounced texture.

Cake flour is considered good for recipes having high sugar-flour ratios. The foods made with cake flour are unlikely to collapse after they rise. Pastry flour is used more for the preparation of pastries, muffins, cakes, cookies, and pie crusts. When compared to cake flour, the pastry flour absorbs less liquid.

Unlike pastry flour, cake flour is chlorinated and also bleached. This bleaching process weakens the presence of proteins which makes the flour more delicate than the pastry flour.

When the cake flour gives a white-and-bright appearance to the recipes, the pastry flour gives a light texture.

In choosing the two flours, people have their own choices. Sometimes a mix of cake flour and all-purpose flour is used in place of pastry flour.

Summary
1.Cake flour has less protein when compared to pastry flour.
2.Cake flour has protein ranging from five to eight per cent. Pastry flour has eight to nine per cent of proteins.
3.In terms of the presence of starch, cake flour has more starch.
4.Cake flour is considered good for recipes having high sugar-flour ratios. Pastry flour is used more for the preparation of pastries, muffins, cakes, cookies, and pie crusts.
5.Unlike pastry flour, cake flour is chlorinated and also bleached.
6.When compared to cake flour, pastry flour absorbs less liquid.
7.When the cake flour gives a white-and-bright appearance to the recipes, the pastry flour gives a light texture.
8.Though the texture of cake flour and pastry flour are almost the same, pastry flour comes with a more pronounced texture.

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