What is the physical effect of sifting dry ingredients for a cake? I notice that for recipes that call to sift the dry ingredients, most usually cakes or cupcakes, there is a noticeable difference in the batter after the wets have been incorporated.
What are the physics for sifting dry ingredients?  How does this process result in a light batter?
Originally, before flour was as processed as it is now, sifting helped remove things like twigs and other contaminants.
Sifting just helps remove clumped up dried ingredients (flour, powered sugar, etc, ) so that when you add in the wet ingredients you do not have to mix too hard to remove the clumps.
Edit : When mixing the mixture too hard or too long you risk of &quot;creating&quot; gluten and that will render the cake mix too &quot;bread&quot; like (too dense, too chewy)
You could just use the flour as is and whisk it in the bowl to try to remove the clumps.
see : https://www.thekitchn.com/is-sifting-flour-for-baked-goods-really-necessary-213894