# No Cake Flour in Australia



## feliz

Im trying to make an angel cake but unfortunately there is no cake flour down under... There in only plain flour and self-rising flour available. Some people have told me that self-rising is actually cake flour but have read differently over the internet. Would anyone know an acceptable subsitute or whether I can really use self-rising?


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## lamington

Hello Feliz -- I hope the following helps:

(1) Australian wheat is pretty hard (ie, high protein/gluten), and so recipes have always adapted or been designed to cope with this. Self-raising flour is *not* cake flour! It is usually 10+% protein, while cake flour is lower, it is not treated in the way that US cake flour is... and most importantly, it contains a number of raising agents, so would not be suitable.

(2) The standard Australian solution to the cake flour issue is to mix plain (all purpose) flour and some cornflour (cornstarch). Stephanie Alexander uses a ratio of just under 1 part cornflour to 3 parts plain flour. So, if your recipe calls for, say, 240gm cake flour, then combine 60gm cornflour and 180gm plain flour. Other books use a smaller proportion of cornflour.

(3) If the above approach isn't satisfactory, it's possible to buy some soft Italian flours at various European shops (at least in MEL and SYD), and there's a USAmerican shop in MEL which sells "Swan's Cake Flour": www.usafoods.com.au


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## feliz

Thanks Lamington... I would have hated to start my angel cake recipe and have it turn out a disaster!


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## scott123

Have you tried a local bakery? They might have lower protein flours on hand and be willing to sell you some.

Swans down, by the way, is really horrible tasting. If you're striving for a perfectly white cake, though, it does the trick.


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## auzzi

I find that the substitution of more than 2 tablespoons of maize cornflour with enough plain flour to make 1 cup [total] produces cake that is too fragile and "brittle".

I have used wheaten cornflour - same amounts - and it produces a softer product than straight plain flour.

Also the substitution of 1-2 tablespoons of custard powder [good brand] with enough plain flour to make 1 cup [total] produces cake that is light and yummy.

SUPER SPONGE CAKE
1 Cup Self Raising flour
2 Tablespoons Custard Powder
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Milk
4 oz butter
2 Eggs
Put all in bowl and mix for 6 minutes. Bake 7" sandwich tin [greased andpaper-lined on bottom] in moderate oven for 35 minutes.


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## feliz

To Auzzi... you mean I can substitute cornflour for cake flour?


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## keeperofthegood

Hey oh

Feliz, it looks more that auzzi is saying to replace the maize cornflour with custard powder is the better way to go in this style recipe.

I have used corn flours and I also do not like them the best. I find millet flours, spelt flours, and rice flours better. I can't speak to their abilities in pastery use generally, but a 1/3rd 2/3rd millet to rice in full sub for wheat flour in corn bread does nice.


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## auzzi

Sorry I was not clearer:

2 tablespoons [Australian = 8 teaspoons] of cornflour* placed in a measuring cup and covered with enough plain flour [all-purpose flour] to make up the full measuring cup [1 cup in total] 
EQUALS
1 cup cake flour substitute

* either wheaten or maize cornflour can also be used.

2 tablespoons [Australian = 8 teaspoons] of custard powder placed in a measuring cup and covered with enough plain flour [all-purpose flour] to make up the full measuring cup [1 cup in total] 
EQUALS
1 cup cake flour substitute

Custard Powder is either based on maize or wheaten cornflour: tweaked during manufacture to produce a pre-mix powder.

NOTES: [totally irrelevant}
Custard powder was invented by a man for his wife who was allergic to eggs - the major ingredient of custard.

Corn in cornflour refers to the fact that corns are the grains, kernels or seeds of cereal crops such as wheat, rye, barley, and maize. Subsequently, Australian cornflour can be either maize or wheaten in origin.


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## sam45

Woolworths now carry a "cake, biscuit, pastry" flour both plain and self raising. Haven't tried it yet.


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## hitsugi ghoul

http://lighthousebaking.com.au/cake-biscuit-153/

The Link is for the brand called *LIGHTHOUSE* they make cake and biscut flour and much more. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif

Usually sold at Coles and Woolworths but if not instock you can possible give ethem a call to see where they stock what you want.

Also if u are close to an Asian Market Look for the brand called *DIY* they sell cake flour, i used to use this one  Brand is from Taiwan but sometimes they sorce from other countries.

Hope this helps /img/vbsmilies/smilies/peace.gif


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## elaine young

Hi Feliz,

For cake flour that is accessible in supermarkets, the Lighthouse brand that Hitsugi suggested would work well. They have a low protein flour and does not contain any leavening agent. Pick the plain variety. I use this for home baking and it's perfectly fine. Check out the link at http://www.anchorfoods.com.au/go/pr...ighthouse-cake-biscuit-and-pastry-plain-flour.


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## tiemu

Coles and Woolworths carry cake flour, the brand is Lighthouse.

If you're in SA, Foodland supermarkets carry flour and ingredients you don't find at Colesworths.


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## june mason

Lighthouse Biscuit, Pastry & Cake Plain flour is more or less the equivalent to US cake flour. It can be found in Cole's and Woolworth in the baking isle with the other flours. I have used the light house brand flours now for quite a while and always get a good result.


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## kokopuffs

Self-rising flour has added to it one of the following leavening agents:  baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or baking powder (sodium bicarbonate + sodium aluminum sulfate).  It's therefore not the same as an "unadulterated" flour, that is flour (plus malted barley).


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## coleds88

Hi I used self rising an it worked a treat


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## elke trevethan

Whether you don't keep *cake flour* in the pantry or you've just run out, making a substitute is easy. All you need are two ingredients from the pantry - all-purpose *flour* and cornstarch. Here's how to do it - Take one level cup of AP *flour*, remove two tablespoons, and then add two tablespoons of cornstarch back in.


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## snow64822

lamington said:


> Hello Feliz -- I hope the following helps:
> 
> (1) Australian wheat is pretty hard (ie, high protein/gluten), and so recipes have always adapted or been designed to cope with this. Self-raising flour is *not* cake flour! It is usually 10+% protein, while cake flour is lower, it is not treated in the way that US cake flour is... and most importantly, it contains a number of raising agents, so would not be suitable.
> 
> (2) The standard Australian solution to the cake flour issue is to mix plain (all purpose) flour and some cornflour (cornstarch). Stephanie Alexander uses a ratio of just under 1 part cornflour to 3 parts plain flour. So, if your recipe calls for, say, 240gm cake flour, then combine 60gm cornflour and 180gm plain flour. Other books use a smaller proportion of cornflour.
> 
> (3) If the above approach isn't satisfactory, it's possible to buy some soft Italian flours at various European shops (at least in MEL and SYD), and there's a USAmerican shop in MEL which sells "Swan's Cake Flour": www.usafoods.com.au


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## kokopuffs

Cake flour like Swans Down is like White Lily here in the deep south: both are higher in starch and lower in protein unlike typical AP flours such as Gold Medal, Pillsbury and King Arthur. If you've ever wanted to thicken a liquid such as roux or soup, you'd be much better off using a cake flour than AP because of the higher starch content in the former. Think corn starch for thickening apple pie (and cherry pie?) filling.


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## JohnDB

kokopuffs said:


> Cake flour like Swans Down is like White Lily here in the deep south: both are higher in starch and lower in protein unlike typical AP flours such as Gold Medal, Pillsbury and King Arthur. If you've ever wanted to thicken a liquid such as roux or soup, you'd be much better off using a cake flour than AP because of the higher starch content in the former. Think corn starch for thickening apple pie (and cherry pie?) filling.


But they are in Australia....kangaroos and Koalas have eaten all the cake flour. Lol

And I'm not exactly a fan of White Lilly AP flour in place of Swans Down or Pure as Snow. The performance is different. I use the fist test for the flours on the bench regularly. (Grab a fistful and squeeze it tight) White Lilly is just another AP flour. Maybe a quarter or half a percent lower protein than GM but that's as far as I'd say it is. 

Most flour here in the SE USA is either King Arthur or General Mills. At least in middle TN it is. Google up flour mills and you'll see.


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## kokopuffs

JohnDB said:


> But they are in Australia....kangaroos and Koalas have eaten all the cake flour. Lol
> 
> And I'm not exactly a fan of White Lilly AP flour in place of Swans Down or Pure as Snow. The performance is different. I use the fist test for the flours on the bench regularly. (Grab a fistful and squeeze it tight) White Lilly is just another AP flour. Maybe a quarter or half a percent lower protein than GM but that's as far as I'd say it is.
> 
> Most flour here in the SE USA is either King Arthur or General Mills. At least in middle TN it is. Google up flour mills and you'll see.


Okay when it come to pate brisee, I seem to notice that the WL (EDIT) dough is more flexible that the dough made with hard wheat flours. It rolls out more easily.

And I've stated nothing about substituting WL for Swans Down or some other "Labeled" cake flour. I simply stated similarities. And WL is available all over Georgia. And yes I am familiar with flours especially from the smaller mills in TN. (EDIT) Nice stuff.


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