A lab-scale method for replicating the time–temperature history experienced by cake flours undergoing heat treatment was developed based on a packed bed configuration. The performance of heat-treated flours was compared with untreated and commercially heat-treated flour by test baking a high ratio cake formulation. Both cake volume and AACC shape measures were optimal after 15 min treatment at 130 °C, though their values varied between harvests. Separate oscillatory rheometry tests of cake batter at 80–100 °C exhibited similar behaviour to the baking tests. The gel strength parameter in the weak gel model, measured at 100 °C, was shown to correlate with flour quality and was identified as a possible alternative to test baking as a means of assessing flour quality after heat treatment. A CASE Ph.D. Studentship for AKSC from the Food Processing Faraday and support from Premier Foods are all gratefully acknowledged. This is the accepted manuscript version. The final version is available from Elsevier at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260877414003112.