Question: I’m trying to get the best texture in my favorite pound cake. Can I mix cake flour and all-purpose flour?

Answer: The biggest difference between flours is the amount of protein, which leads to the development of gluten, the stretchy bands that join molecules. For strong, crusty bread, you want lots of gluten. For tender biscuits, you don’t want much. For cakes, you need something in the middle.

Bread flour is highest in protein, at 12 percent to 13 percent. All-purpose flour is next, at 10 percent to 12 percent protein. Pastry flour is a little lower, at 8.5 percent to 9.5 percent. And cake flour, which usually comes in a box, is the lowest, at 7 percent to 8.5 percent.

Pastry flour can be difficult to find in supermarkets. But if you mix 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup cake flour, you’ll get a protein level that’s very close. You may find it works better for biscuits, pie crusts and some cakes.

Besides having less protein, cake flour also is chlorinated, so it absorbs less water and leads to a drier texture. That could be an advantage to making a tender pound cake, although you’ll have to try it to see if you like the result.

QUESTION: I make a strawberry pie in the spring or summer with fresh, whole berries on top. Is there a way I can freeze fresh strawberries and use my frozen berries to make a pie months later?

ANSWER: Unfortunately, no method of freezing will get the result you want. Fruit is loaded with water. When it freezes, the ice crystals burst the internal cell walls, so the thawed fruit is very soft and has a consistency similar to cooked fruit.

Instead of topping your pie with out-of-season fresh strawberries that have less flavor, use frozen berries to make a strawberry sauce, called a coulis, that you could drizzle on the pie. Cook the thawed berries with a little sugar (maybe ½ cup sugar to 1 cup of berries) and the juice of half a lemon. Puree it and strain it to remove the seeds. You’ll still have a pretty pie and it will taste even better.