The scale is from lower to high level of refinement. Or should I just use all-purpose? Other than pasta I use it for thickening sauces, and I sometimes make pizza dough with it, although I can't tell the difference between using 00 and good quality bread flour. discussion from the Chowhound Home Cooking, Italian … The best flour for cakes is cake flour. I prefer the light, soft texture of cakes that have been baked with cake flour. There shouldn’t be any problems using it in your favorite homemade cake, but you will notice a slightly chewier texture with the all-purpose. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/plain-flour-cake-recipes It makes a difference. I feel there is a certain “hype” behind 00 flour, let me elaborate! Many recipes that call for 00 flour will often call for all-purpose as a substitute. If you’re still not convinced, or if you live in a part of the world where cake flour is not available, you can create a reasonable facsimile by replacing 2 tablespoons (for every cup) of all-purpose flour with cornstarch. Read the Can I use Italian "OO" flour as substitute for cake flour? CAKE FLOUR SUBSTITUTE. The simple answer is yes, you can. In Italy we have a classification for the flour, it goes like this: wholemeal (in italian “integrale”), 2, 1, 0, 00. This flour contains the least amount of protein and creates the soft crumb you expect when eating the sweat treat. 00 flour is more finely milled than all purpose flour, so it needs less liquid to fully hydrate. What are you baking? Similarly, you can also use all-purpose flour in a recipe that calls for pastry flour. 00 is extra-fine flour, the most refined grade. Here's a useful page for more about the old flour grading system.