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December 2004 - QUESTION: I was at a Christmas party at a friends house and they had this wonderful dessert cake. I asked for the recipe and the hostess was happy to give it to me. When I made the cake, it was not nearly as good even though I followed the directions. My mom says I probably measured the flower wrong. I thought I knew how to do it, but maybe I'm wrong. Can you help? -- Karen from Illinois
ANSWER: I must make this disclaimer right off the bat, I am not the greatest baker. I usually stick to pre-packed mixes. Still, I did learn in home economics that measuring flour properly can make or break a dish. Now, this is not always the case, since some breads and cookies are more "forgiving." But many dishes, especially those going for a light, springy texture, require that you do it right.
I did some research and learned the most important thing is that unless the recipe specifically calls for tightly packed flour, it is presumed you will be measuring straight from the bag or container, and therefore your flour will be "airy." You should not pack flour down into the measuring cup or tap it excessively, as this can add too much flour and make it heavy. Lightly spoon flour into a graduated measuring cup, and level off with straight edge of a butter knife.
I did manage to find these detailed directions for "proper" measuring of flour. I hope it helps you.
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Measuring Flour: Correct Method
In order to measure flour correctly, it must be sifted once before measuring to prevent packing of the flour. Most recipes for baked products assume this, since sifted flour tends to pack on standing, this sifting process should be performed just prior to measuring. Estimate the amount of flour which must be sifted for the measurement and sift. To fill the measuring cup, the flour should scooped with a tablespoon and placed lightly into the cup until the cup is heaping full. Excess flour is then removed by moving a straight edge such as a knife or metal spatula across the top. It is important at all times during this process of filing or leveling the cup, not to shake the cup (or tap) since either will cause packing of the flour.
Thus, the correct technique of measuring flour consists of 3 steps:
(1) Sift the flour
(2) Fill the measuring cup to heaping full
(3) Level cup with a straight-edged spatula
When flour is measured by this method which eliminates packing of the flour as much as possible, one cup should weigh about 4 ounces or 112 grams. A second method is to sift directly and evenly into the cup and level off with a straight-edged spatula.
Measuring Flour: Incorrect Method
When flour is measured without sifting, but rather by tapping the measuring cup, additional flour is needed to fill the cup, and results in packing of the flour. Since the degree of packing cannot be controlled, measuring flour in this manner will result in variable results, ranging from a couple of grams of additional flour, to a full one-half cup of flour (in one test case). Such a variance would probably yield a poor quality product.
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Answer by: Michelle Lehmann
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