🎂 Flour Power: Essential tips every baker should know
Flour might seem simple, but in cake baking, every detail matters. The type of flour, how it’s stored, and how you combine it with leavening agents all impact texture, flavor, and rise. Whether you're baking a fluffy olive oil cake or a rich chocolate sponge, these foundational flour and baking powder tips will elevate your results every time.
🌾 Always use plain flour (Never relf-raising)
In professional baking (and at Kuisit), we always recommend using plain flour (harina sin fermento) and adding the leavening separately. Why?
Control: You decide how much leavening to use based on your recipe type (pound cake ≠ sponge).
Balance: Self-raising flours may contain varying amounts of baking powder — and sometimes salt.
Purity: You can use high-quality flour and choose clean, aluminum-free baking powder.
💡 Self-raising flour may work in emergencies, but it limits your precision — and in baking, precision = success.
🧪 Which baking powder should you use?
Look for double-acting baking powder, but make sure it’s aluminum-free. Here’s why:
Aluminum compounds (like sodium aluminum sulfate) can leave a metallic aftertaste.
High heat activates aluminum-based powders too aggressively, which can cause uneven rise or dry texture.
✅ Choose baking powders with:
Monocalcium phosphate
Sodium bicarbonate
Cornstarch (to keep it dry and shelf-stable)
Double-acting baking powder is a common leavening agent used in baking. It releases carbon dioxide gas in two stages to help doughs and batters rise:
First activation: When mixed with wet ingredients at room temperature (during batter preparation).
Second activation: When exposed to heat in the oven.
This two-step action gives your baked goods a more reliable rise and improves texture, even if the batter rests a bit before baking.
🧁 How to make your own baking powder
Want clean-label, DIY leavening? It’s easy!
🍶 Homemade double acting baking powder recipe:
1 part baking soda
2 parts cream of tartar
(optional) 1 part cornstarch (for longer shelf life)
👉 Mix and store in an airtight jar. Use 1 tsp per 125g flour for most cakes.
🏺 How to store flour & baking powder correctly
🌾 For flour:
Store in a cool, dry place, ideally in an airtight container.
Use within 6 months for best results.
For nut- or wholegrain-based flours, refrigerate or freeze to prevent rancidity.
🔔 For baking powder:
Always seal tightly — moisture kills the reaction.
Test freshness by adding a small spoonful to hot water — it should bubble instantly.
Replace if clumpy or past expiration date.
👩🍳 How to handle flour in cake recipes
This is one of the most common causes of dense cakes: overmixing the flour.
Here’s how to do it right:
Sift the flour before adding to avoid lumps.
Add in parts, folding gently with a spatula or on low mixer speed.
Stop mixing as soon as no streaks remain — this avoids gluten overdevelopment.
💡 The goal is structure, not chew. You want your cake soft, not like bread!
🌿 Kuisit Tip
For even more tenderness, blend a portion of your flour with ground nuts (like almond or hazelnut flour) — this helps absorb moisture and adds aromatic richness to your cakes.