To sift or not to sift all purpose flour when making cake. and use H2o or milk too?

Question

I want to make homemade coconut cake. with a less sweet icing. any pointers. crazy answers need not apply.

that also goes with frosting too. i forgot to put that in there.

Answer 1

Sift all purpose flour when making cakes helps to make a smoother and more creamy batter. Which is always good. Do you have to or the world will crumble...No. It's your choice but highly recommended.
Again, I prefer milk. It gives it a more creamy texture and flavor. It also adds unnecessary calories. So you can always substitute water, unless receipe says otherwise.

Answer 2

Cakes and breads require a careful balance of moisture to flour. A small change in that ratio results in a disappointing outcome. A recipe that calls for two cups of sifted AP flour usually means that you should first sift the flour and then measure out two cups of the sifted flour. Professionals weigh their ingredients and then sift, because the result is always consistent. Volume measures like cups are only approximate, because of variations in measuring tools, how compact the flour was to begin with, regional differences in the flour (flour in the U.S. south tends to have less gluten than flour in other parts of the country), and even the moisture content of the flour. On humid a day flour will have a different amount of moisture than on a dry one, it can make a difference. Weighing ingredients takes out all of the variables. (I know, not very helpful if your recipe calls for volume measure as do most in the U.S., over time I've converted most of my recipes from measured to weighed ingredients)

Two cups of sifted flour weighs less than two cups of unsifted. It makes a difference so definitely sift if that's what's called for. Sifting makes for a lighter, airier cake.

Milk helps tenderize the crumb and adds flavor, don't go with the water. The cake would be ok, but nearly as good.

Answer 3

Coconut cake is usually a lighter/airy, richer cake.
Because of this, you should:

-Sift -- after measuring (unless, but rarely, recipe calls for sifting before)

- Use milk -- adds a richer taste to baked goods -- you want milk in this cake in particular, in most baked items generally.

Most recipes for muffins, cupcakes, cookies, and even cakes come out fine unsifted, however, sifting produces a slightly more delicate baked good.

Enjoy your homemade coconut cake

Answer 4

I think if its a fluffy light cake then sift.

Otherwise it doesn't matter.

I think the recipes say to sift cuz back when people used to actually bake, flour had insects and wheat chaff in it.

Answer 5

sift, unless your recipe states not to. And always use milk; you can use fat free, but replacing milk with water could change the richness of your cake.

Answer 6

You only SIFT when it calls for "SIFTED" flour!

Unfortunately when baking, you really need to follow the recipe--if it calls for milk, you cannot use water.

Answer 7

I always sift, and use milk

Answer 8

do you have alot of time? check out web sites like martha stewart// then modify... (less sweet, less sugar),(dont sift-use slightly less flour) ----then when your done if you like it you will have your very own secret reciepy

Answer 9

always sift.
i always use milk in my cakes also.