Cake Flour Vs Pastry Flour. If youre having trouble deciding whether to use cake or pastry flour for your next baking project here are some pointers. Pastry flour is not bleached or treated in any way.
Cake flour has a very low protein content which is higher in Pastry Flour. In comparison to cake flour it absorbs lesser liquids. It is used in delicate cakes and pastries pie crusts cookies and muffins.
While it does produce less gluten than all-purpose flour its still not recommended for people who have a gluten intolerance.
As said previously the lower the protein content the more fluffy and light the end result will be. However they differ in the type of flour that is used to prepare them. Pastry flour is more of a happy medium with a protein content somewhere between cake and all-purpose flour per Food Network. A cake is a stand alone sweet dessert whereas the pastry can be sometimes used as standalone or can be added to other food items like added in the making of pies.