all purpose flour - is it plain or self raising flour, or neither?

[butcherbaker]

can anyone tell me, am cooking a cake. In australia, I only ever used plain or self raising.

[Flour power]

All purpose = plain

[Señora Sensible]

I haven't had much success in Singapore, using all purpose flour for cakes...they seem to turn out better using the Self Raising Flour.

[flat]

What raising agent did you use Senora Sensible? Just wondering, as I haven't tried any of the "local" raising agents yet, and I wonder whether they're as effective as the ones used with the all purpose flour in the original recipe.

[My 2c]

I'd use plain flour, then add raising agents, per the recipe. So it might call for a tsp of baking powder, and 2 of bicarb (or vice versa, or what ever). Never trust pre-blended flours, they're crap. And in the US you could bake curb-stones from them.

[Spot!]

I get lots of success in using cake flour.

[Señora Sensible]

What raising agent did you use Senora Sensible? Just wondering, as I haven't tried any of the "local" raising agents yet, and I wonder whether they're as effective as the ones used with the all purpose flour in the original recipe.

I've used bicarb soda and baking powder.  Anyway I'm quite happy with results from using the cheaper brand of flour from Cold Storage.  Prima, Self Raising....

[Flour in Singapore]

Ok I am actually attending a baking course here in Singapore held by the Baking Industry
 people and it is also a subsidiary of PRIMA (the flour people) and can help demystify the flours!!! Before Singapore, I only really knew 3 main types of white flour (bread, plain and self raising).

In Singapore, there are lots of choices.
Plain flour (O/S) = All purpose flour = Plain flour (SGP) = medium protein flour which is suitable for most western type cakes etc
Cake flour (SGP) = None equivalent (O/S) = low protein flour which is most suitable for Asian type cakes especially sponges
Hi Ratio Flour (SGP) = Chlorinated Flour (O/S) = low protein flour which is best used for cakes which has a very high amount of sugar or liquids
Bread Flour (SGP) = Bread Flour (O/S) = high protein flour = suitable for bread only
Top Flour (SGP) = none equivalent(O/S) = low protein cake flour but cheaper

[jessjess]

do you remember when you were a kid and if you stared too long at a word it would start to look odd? 'Flour' is doing that for me right now.

[Cakes R Us]

I bake all the time. Plain flour, usually (I use the Waitrose organic brand from Cold Storage). Some recipes call for baking soda, but my faves don't. Just follow all the usual cake baking rules and you can't go wrong. Even with a dodgy oven thermostat.

[Basil2]

I use Prima plain flour for cakes, and it works very well (add baking powder / bicarb per the recipe), for Nigella/Delia recipes.

p.s. Previously living in the US, I found most flours, most general purpose flours very hard, and yielded 'kerbstones' as someone else suggested ...