Composition

• Cake flour's protein content ranges from 5 to 8 percent (but can be 7 to 9 percent). Cake flour has the lowest protein content of all flours.

  Pastry flour's protein content ranges from 8 to 9 percent.

Features

• Food made with pastry flour has a more pronounced texture than cake flour.

  Cake flour contains more starch than protein, and food made from it is more delicate and tender.

Considerations

• Both cake and pastry flour are made from soft wheat, but cake flour is chlorinated (with chlorine gas) to chemically change it.

Function

• Though neither is suited for breads and can be used for such things as pastries, cookies, quick breads, and brownies, cake flour is better for recipes with a high sugar-to-flour ratio, as the food it is made with will be less likely to collapse after rising.

Substitution

• To achieve a flour resembling pastry flour, cake flour and all-purpose flour, whose protein content ranges from 9 to 12 percent, can be mixed.