Flour

[LadyEloise]

If a recipe says just flour but doesn't say whether to use self raising or cream flour but baking soda is one of the ingredients, which flour should I use - self raising or cream flour ?
Thanks in advance.

What are you making?

And I gather you mean plain rather than cream

Never heard of cream flour but I would assume if it just says flour it means plain, particularly if the recipe also includes baking powder.

If you're making anything that is going to rise e.g. a cake, then I'd use self raising

Is cream flour Irish? What country does the recipe come from?

Never heard of cream flour, but I'd definitely assume plain flour unless it said otherwise.

Just googled and cream flour is a thing. Never heard of it before.

As I said before it depends what you're making as to whether self raising or plain flour is best

Odlums is a major flour brand in Ireland and they call their plain flour Odlums Cream flour as opposed to Odlums Self Raising flour hence the non understanding Apologies.
It's a one bowl apple cake. I think it's an American recipe because measurements are in cups.
It states 2 cups flour.

www.keyingredient.com/recipes/749035035/one-bowl-apple-cake/

If it is this one it says plain flour in the comments.

Which I have to say is not what I was expecting as I would always use self raising for cakes!

Thank you Quartz2208.
It is that recipe.

Don't think self raising flour exists in the US
As its a cake I'd use self raising

If it's an American recipe you are talking plain/ cream flour.

Very few American recipes call for self raising flour. If a recipe calls for SR flour it is always specifies whereas the vast majority of recipes just say 'flour'. The default in America is 'all purpose' aka plain/ cream flour.

Yes, SR flour exists in the US but isn't called for in many recipes. I think there is a suspicion that it's not as fresh as plain/ cream flour.

Also, many American cake recipes call for cake flour, which is very finely milled and doesn't come in a SR version iirc.

@mathanxiety
You know what Odlums Cream flour is no doubt.

I would not use a recipe that didn't state what kind of flour to use! How can you trust the rest of it?! Life's too short to risk cake disasters imo

Interestingly, though Odlums cream flour is their version of plain, it does contain low levels of raising agents. The company says this addition 'was done to provide the consumer with a superior product which would be consistent for home baking time and time again'. Maybe that's why they call it cream flour as opposed to plain.

I find most recipes will specifically state self-raising if it's required, so if the recipe just says 'flour' that usually means plain/cream.

Hope the cake turned out great @LadyEloise.