Cake and pastry flour

Cake and pastry flour is a type of flour that is specially milled and sifted, with a lower gluten content than all-purpose flour, making it ideal for achieving soft, tender, and fluffy doughs in baked goods. Its fine texture and its balanced capacity to absorb liquids make it easier to prepare cakes, tarts, cupcakes, and other delicate desserts.

This ingredient originates from the selective milling of wheat grains, which prioritizes obtaining a flour with low protein (gluten) content, unlike all-purpose or bread flour. It is a fundamental component in international pastry and baking, used for centuries to achieve products with a light and airy texture.

Properties: cake and pastry flour contains approximately 7% to 9% gluten, which gives it less elasticity but greater softness, making it ideal for preparations that do not require a strong structure. Thanks to this, the final products usually have a fine crumb, good volume, and a smooth texture on the palate.

In different Latin American countries, it may be known by different names, although "harina para repostería" (pastry flour) is the most common and recognized term. Some synonyms include: harina para pasta dulce, harina de repostería, or harina fina para pasteles. These terms refer to the same type of flour designed to achieve better results in recipes for cakes, cookies, and other baked sweets.