Cornflour instead of flour?

[JackNamesThePlanets]

Can't get hold of any flour or S/r flour, but I do have cornflour at home. Can I substitute this in any baking recipes? I obviously am not an expert baker, but do a bit with the kids here and there and have now used up all supplies I've had for years in my baking cupboard, so just bowing to the knowledge of MN in this!

Depends.

You can substitute some, but not too much in cakes, but not at all in bread or pizza or scones.

So, generally, no.

You'll get drier, more crumbly results as it's not so fine and is more absorbent. It's okay to use it when there's a small amount of flour in a recipe, e.g. you could use cornflour and oats in a crumble topping, but not so good in a sponge cake recipe.

As Chardonnays states, it won't work in recipes where you need to develop the gluten as it doesn't contain gluten.

My aunt used cornflour in a sponge cake and hers was lovely, I can never make it that way.

Crumble, yes, maybe you can skip flour altogether, use oats or oats put through a blender, so they are finely ground, or ground nuts or even finely crushed cornflakes.

Works for Yorkshire puddings apparently.

Try GF recipes as they often use cornflour

I don’t know about baking, but I always use cornflour rather than baking flour in sauces - it means you melt the butter, stir in the CF, and straight away add the milk, no need to cook out the flour.

Slightly off topic but hopefully useful to someone.

You can make a lemon feather cake with corn flour and eggs. It is delicious with lemon curd and cream in the middle.

I always use it for white sauces too - mine always come out lumpy with normal flour but never with cornflour. I wouldn't bake with it in its own though and I'm struggling to think of any recipes where you do (and I do a lot of GF baking). A little bit in a sponge or shortbread gives a nice texture but it needs to be mixed with something else really. If you can't get flour, I'd be tempted to go down the flourless route instead (eg flourless chocolate cookies, cakes using ground almonds etc) than try with just cornflour.

I got giddy as yesterday realised I could use it for white sauce for my macaroni cheese/lasagne etc so thought I'd ping it out there as I really want some cake Thanks all. The lemon feather cake sounds amazing btw- do you have recipe? Thanks!

Hanging around for the lemon feather cake!

I make chocolate brownies with cornflour. They're far superior

Do you have any polenta?

I can't imagine people have been panic-buying the stuff!

This is a nice recipe (I used 1/2 the amount of lemon plus some bottled juice):

www.nigella.com/recipes/lemon-polenta-cake

You'd be surprised @Madcats - at the start of lockdown, polenta was about the only thing that I couldn't find anywhere!

Ooh @poppinjay, can you share your recipe please? Thanks!

Ahh I think we do have polenta, will have a scurry round the back of the misc cupboard...

Nigella's chocolate mousse cake doesn't use any flour at all. You can also do flourless brownies.

Woohoo! We have polenta! It doesn't go off right?! It's been there a while...

Come on @RubbishQueen we're all waiting.

I use it for sauces but by mixing it with a bit of water or milk then adding it to a pan of almost boiling milk to thicken it before chucking in the cheese / parsley or whatever

We don't eat the polenta cake that often, but I am sure "out of date" will be fine if it has been kept somewhere cool and dry.

If anybody has any other sweet or savoury polenta recipes.... I have flour now (Bfp-express)

I’ve added a photo of the recipe. They’re especially good if a little undercooked so they stay gooey in the middle.

Might have to make some now!

Thanks @Poppinjay, I don't really need to make any more brownies but this is in the name of science so totally necessary.

My great-auntie’s shortbread recipe uses a mix of plain and corn flour.

Sorry I was making a cake!

I've made it three times. To be fair the best time I used potato flour. The first time I made it with corn flour it came out amazing. Really light and yummy. The last time I made it it came out like a dried flakey biscuit. We slapped loads of the filling in and ate it anyway. I think it's all about the whisking and keeping as much air in the egg whites while folding the other ingredients in. Think perhaps I was too heavy handed (cocky) the last time. It doesn't rise in the over so what ever volume you have is how it'll come out. Apart from if you over mix it then it come out flat.

It's not the easiest of cakes to get right my 3 times of making it in my experience.

Lemon Feather Cake

Ingredients:
3 eggs separated
5oz castor sugar
Grated rind of half small lemon
70g (2 and half oz) potato flour or cornflour

Filling:
150 ml double cream
150g lemon curd

To complete:
Icing sugar for dusting

You will need a 7 inch tin or deep cake tin. Greased and lined. Then dusted with castor sugar followed by potato flour.

Method:
Pre head oven to 180c 350f Gas mark 4. Beat egg yolks, castor sugar and lemon for 10 -15 mins until light and fluffy and pale and thick. Enough to leave a trail for 8 seconds when lifted. . Fold in the potato flour with a metal spoon. Whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into the lemon mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40 -50 mins or until firm to touch and puffed and golden.

Leave to cool before turning out. Cool on rack. To make the filling whip the cream, but not too stiff and fold in the lemon curd. Split cake with serrated knife. Sandwich the halves together with the filling. Dust top with icing sugar. Can be frozen filled.

Apologies again for my lateness in replying!

You can order flour from a local mill. Or further afield if there aren’t any near you. They’ve generally all got stock, you just have to buy in bulk (so 15kg+).

Thank you @RubbishQueen