Flour
Fancy-cake makers and confectioners prefer to use “pastry” flour for the making of cakes and pastry, which is a flour of different grade from that used for bread and general baking purposes. Bread flour contains a large proportion of gluten, the nitrogenous property of the wheat grain, which gives bone and muscle, and makes bread a nutritious food. When bread flour is used for cake and pie crust the result is not quite as flaky and light as it should be, because of the gluten in the flour. A special sack of pastry flour for use in making fine cakes and pastry will be advantageous. In appearance pastry flour is whiter than bread flour. When rubbed between the fingers it feels as soft and fine as corn-starch; if squeezed in the hand it forms a firm ball. Because of this tendency to “pack” it should always be sifted very thoroughly.
Generally speaking, Royal Baking Powder used with any good flour will make satisfactory cake which will be creditable to any housekeeper.