Cornstarch not simply thicken sauces and mixtures, but it can be employed in baked items this kind of as cookies or cakes, also. It is actually mentioned that cornstarch used in blend with flour can "soften" the harsh proteins of flour, building a a lot more tender baked great. Anecdotally, I can tell you that is true. A recipe this kind of as shortbread which employs element flour and aspect cornstarch yields a cookie using the best crumb: crumbly, but not fall-apart. Tender and delicate, but inside a way the cookie still holds its shape.

As I discovered on the King Arthur Flour forum, it is also one of the strategies of cake flour.

Cake flour has become handled with chlorine gas which acts not only being a whitening agent, but also has a maturing effect within the flour. It damages the proteins that form gluten to ensure these will not form the lengthy stiff chains and networks that make excellent bread, but in addition breaks down starches to ensure that these will absorb far more water. These hydrated starches then "gel" throughout baking to supply an alternate framework (alternate to gluten formation) which is desirable for cakes; tight, even crumb, moist, quite tender.

You are able to make your very own cake flour substitute, through the way. All it's important to do is add two tablespoons of cornstarch per cup of all-purpose flour for a recipe. Though it will not yield precisely the identical results, it'll undoubtedly yield a more delicate baked good than all purpose flour alone.