00 Flour vs Cake Flour: Which Is Best for Your Baking?

Hey there, home bakers! If you’ve ever stood in the flour aisle of your grocery store, wondering whether to grab ’00 flour’ or cake flour for your next baking adventure, you’re not alone. As a passionate home cook and baker . I’m trying to learn all the skills possible. I’m sure many of you who clicked on the link for this blog post are curious too about the difference. So today, we’re diving into the main difference between 00 flour and cake flour, exploring their protein levels, best uses, and how to choose the right flour for the best results. Let’s sift through the details with a warm, empowering vibe and find the ideal flour for your kitchen!

This post is all about 00 flour vs cake flour.

Table of Contents

What Are 00 Flour and Cake Flour?

Before we compare, let’s break down these two flour types. Both are fine flours with low protein content, but they serve distinct purposes due to their type of wheat and milling processes.

00 Flour: Known as “double zero flour,” or as known in Italian farina 00 or tipo 00. This Italian type of flour is a fine flour made from soft wheat or durum wheat. It’s often used in European countries for pizza flour and homemade pasta. Its higher protein contact (between 11% to 12.5%), which is similar to the protein content of all-purpose flour, and low ash content create elastic doughs perfect for thin crust pizzas and pasta dough. There are some brands that can have higher protein contents. Brands like King Arthur offer American flours mimicking Italian flours for pizza bases.
Cake Flour: A soft wheat flour with an even lower protein content (6-8%). This flour is designed for tender cakes like angel food cake or sponge cake, which are both very airy desserts. It’s often bleached to weaken gluten further, ensuring a tender texture and crumbly texture, almost like baby powder. You can find it at any grocery store, sometimes as unbleached flour for a good choice. The whole purpose is create light, airy, fluffy goodies with this flour.

What affects the protein content? There are a number of factors that give flour its protein content:

the type of wheat or grain that’s used – for example soft versus hard wheat
the milling process
brand and variety – they each have differing protein levels.

The Main Difference: Protein Level and Gluten

The key to understanding 00 flour vs cake flour lies in their protein level, which determines how much gluten forms when mixed with water. Gluten gives structure, but too much gluten can make baked goods tough, while less gluten keeps them soft.

00 Flour: With a higher protein content than cake flour, 00 flour develops enough gluten for a chewy crust in pizza crust or a strong gluten network in pasta dough. It absorbs less water, creating elastic doughs for Neapolitan-style pizza or thin crust pizzas. Its fine texture is a good thing for professional bakers crafting the best pizza dough.
Cake Flour: Its low protein content produces less gluten, making it the best flour for tender cakes and delicate pastries. The flour’s fine, almost powdery texture ensures a fluffy cake or crumbly texture in pie crust. Some cake flours include a leavening agent (like self-rising flour), but most are plain flour for precise control in cake recipes.

Other Flour Types for Context

To put 00 flour and cake flour in perspective, let’s compare them to other different types of flour you might encounter:

All-Purpose Flour (AP Flour): A versatile flour with 10-11% protein (with some brands up to 13%), good for everything from cookies to bread, but not as specialized as 00 or cake flour. In comparing the three different flours, AP is ground to a medium finest, while cake flour is much finer, and 00 flour is one of the finest you can get.
Bread Flour: Made from hard wheat, this high protein content flour (12-14%) is ideal for a crusty loaf of bread or high-gluten flour needs, forming much gluten for structure. It has the highest protein content that you can get from flour. This flour is more course than both 00 flour and cake flour.
Pastry Flour: A soft wheat flour with 8-10% protein, great for pie crust, pastries, and cookies, sitting between cake flour and AP flour. Pastry flour, 00 flour, and cake flour all differ from each other in their fineness and protein content.
Whole Wheat Flour: Uses the entire wheat kernel during the milling process, adding a nutty flavor but higher protein (13-14%) and less tender results. Actually whole wheat flour can be as high as 16% in protein, depending on the brand. Using the whole kernel means that it uses the bran, germ, and endosperm. It’s a pretty versatile flour since it can range from fine to extra coarse.
Semolina Flour: Coarser, from durum wheat, used for pasta dough or pizza bases, with a high gluten content. Semolina and 00 are commonly used in cooking and baking in Italian cuisine. Like 00 flour, semolina can be used for pastas. However, 00 flour is used for much more delicate pasta. Semolina results in a chewier, firmer texture in comparison.
Gluten-Free Flours: Like rice flour or chickpea flour, these are for special diets but lack the gluten needed for traditional pizza or cakes. Between all three types of flour, gluten-free flour has no gluten at all, while cake flour is low in gluten and 00 flour has a medium gluten content. Gluten-free flour has protein, but it’ll vary depending on the type of flour that’s used. There isn’t just one type of gluten-free flour and it can be made from all sorts of ingredients.

When to Use 00 Flour

00 flour shines in recipes needing a balance of structure and finesse, especially in Italian-inspired dishes. Its slightly higher protein content makes it the best place for:

Neapolitan-Style Pizza: Creates a chewy crust with a tender, airy texture for thin crust pizzas. The elastic dough handles high temperatures well, a favorite of professional bakers.
Homemade Pasta: The fine flour and strong gluten form smooth, stretchy pasta dough that holds its shape. Use it for more delicate types of pastas.
Pizza Bases: Perfect for pizza flour, absorbing less water for a crisp yet flexible crust.

Pro Tip: If you can’t find 00 flour, you can substitute some flours for it. All purpose flour is a pretty good choice. However, the end result of whatever you’re making is going to be chewier. Bread flour is much more similar to 00 flour, but it’ll produce something more dense. A pastry flour could be good for delicate types of pastas and pizza.

When to Use Cake Flour

Cake flour is your go-to for delicate, soft baked goods where less gluten is a good thing. Its lower protein content is ideal for:

Tender Cakes: Think angel food cake, sponge cake, or fluffy cake recipes where a light, crumbly texture is key.
Pie Crust: Ensures a tender, flaky crust without the chewiness of high-gluten flour.
Pastries: Works in pastry flour-like recipes for scones or biscuits needing a soft touch.

Pro Tip: No cake flour? Make your own by mixing 1 cup of AP flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (remove 2 tablespoons of flour first) to lower the protein content. Sift well for a fine flour texture.

How They Compare in Baking

Using the wrong flour can lead to different results. Here’s how 00 flour and cake flour perform:

Pizza Crust: 00 flour creates the best pizza dough with a chewy crust, while cake flour would make a weak, overly soft dough lacking structure.
Cakes: Cake flour yields a fluffy cake with a tender texture, but 00 flour’s higher gluten would make cakes dense and chewy.
Pasta: 00 flour’s strong gluten is perfect for pasta dough, while cake flour would produce a fragile, crumbly result.
Bread: Neither is ideal for a crusty loaf of bread—bread flour or high-gluten flour is better for much gluten and structure.

The final results depend on choosing the right flour for the job. For example, a cup of cake flour in a sponge cake ensures lightness, while a cup of 00 flour in pizza bases guarantees elasticity.

Can You Substitute 00 Flour and Cake Flour?

Substitutions are possible but may not yield the best results:

00 Flour for Cake Flour: Too much protein makes cakes denser. If you must, blend 00 flour with a bit of cornstarch to reduce gluten.
Cake Flour for 00 Flour: Too little gluten weakens pizza crust or pasta dough. Mix with bread flour to boost protein content.
AP Flour as a Middle Ground: With 10-11% protein, AP flour can work in a pinch for either, but expect slightly different results.

For best results, stick to the ideal flour or visit a grocery store with a robust flour aisle. King Arthur’s unbleached flour options are a great starting point.

Why Flour Type Matters for Homesteaders

As a Cedar Homestead reader dreaming of self-sufficiency, understanding different types of wheat and flour types is a step toward mastering your kitchen. Whether you’re baking a fluffy cake for a family gathering or crafting the best pizza dough for a cozy night in, choosing the right flour saves time and ensures success. Plus, experimenting with Italian flours or soft wheat flour connects you to traditional baking, a skill for any future homestead.

Ready to bake with confidence? Grab 00 flour for your next Neapolitan-style pizza or cake flour for a tender angel food cake. Share your favorite flour type or baking tips in the comments! Let’s make every recipe a delicious success with Cedar Homestead! 🍕🎂

This post was all about 00 flour vs cake flour.