If cake batters and cookie doughs could talk they might say, “I’m not bad. I’m just mixed that way.”
The purpose of creaming is to create air bubbles…
Creaming is a basic, essential technique that countless people get wrong. Many cakes and cookies, especially cutout cookies, begin with this step. It’s no time for shortcuts or impatience. The purpose of creaming is to create air bubbles and incorporate them into the butter to make the finished product lighter; chemical leaveners just make existing air bubbles larger. Vegetable shortening already has millions of fine bubbles, which is one reason it’s relied on for puffy cookies.
Food scientist Shirley Corriher, in her book Cookwise, tells a story of working in a restaurant long ago with a woman whose cakes always rose much higher than her own. She noticed one day the woman would begin to cream the butter and sugar then walk away for several minutes and do something else, letting the mixer continue to cream. Corriher tended to add the eggs soon after the buttter and sugar, not giving the air bubbles a chance.
How long is long enough for sufficient creaming? Expert advice varies a bit, but you might be shocked nonetheless. Carol Walter, author of Great Cakes, recommends 6 to 10 minutes, Flo Braker just a couple minutes less. Those times are for a stand mixer; hand mixers require more time.
Speaking of stand mixers, people who have one frequently, but unwittingly, set themselves up for disappointing results. Not only do they let the machine’s power hoodwink them into insufficient creaming, all too often they will make an entire recipe without ever scraping down the bowl and beater.
One hurdle facing all who haven’t baked a lot is the standard instruction in recipes to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. It won’t happen. Lighter in color, yes. Lightened in texture. Yes. Fluffy? Not in the sense most people think of it. When properly creamed, the sugar will be so well incorporated into the butter that it will no longer feel grainy and gritty. If it does, keep going. Your cakes and cookies will thank you for it.
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I had never heard about leaving the butter and sugar to rest after creaming. When i start baking again (next year?), i’ll have to try that.
Also, your assumption of mixers being used made me smile. My mother taught me to cream by hand, and for years i saw the use of appliances as ‘cheating’. With the advent of chronic tendonitis in my dominant arm, however, i tend to cheat a lot more than i used to
I must have written something really poorly – there is no rest period after creaming. Which part made you think so? I’ll fix it.
Creaming by hand (or arm) really is a lot of work. I do assume people use at least a hand mixer for this, unless they’re learning.
this is the bit:
I guess that means she gave herself a rest then came back to continue??
Sorry, no. It means she started the creaming and walked away and did something else while the mixer continued to cream.
I’ll change the copy!
I do so love your posts about “what and why”. I have been cooking for a life time, but still learn and love to learn.
I don’t cook cakes and biscuits much any more, partly because I no longer use eggs, and partly cos I just eat them all if I do…..!!!
But I remember creaming and trying to get the sugar indistinguishable from the butter. Often I would do by hand, a sort of meditative experience and I used to amuse myself that I was getting fit by cooking! I am sure I never really creamed enough, having read your post.
I am going to remember this when I next cook eggless recipes that require creaming.
Isn’t food science fascinating? I love the whys and hows, especially with respect to baking. I could while away hours reading Corriher and Harold McGee. I learn something every time I open their books. I do wish her book, Bakewise, would come out already — it’s a couple years overdue.
I never used to cream enough either. Now, instead of hovering at the mixer, waiting to add the eggs, I get it going and move on to preparing pans or finishing my mise en place while the machine creams.
ella,
thanks for the clarification; it was my own assumption about hand creaming that led to the confusion
You’re welcome, judy. And I assumed people knew cakes being made in a restaurant would be made by machine!
My cakes from scratch never come out right which is why I use a box mix. My cakes are always too dry. They have a wonderful flavor; it just feels like sand in the mouth.
I’m wondering if I’m not letting the butter and sugar cream long enough. I am going to try it again. Thank for the advice. I will let you know how it turns out.
Hi, opheliag – There’s a really good link on my Useful Links page in Resources called Baking 911- What went wrong with my cake?
I have a sneaky feeling your dry cake could be due to using egg substitutes instead of whole eggs or scooping your flour from the sack or container, ending up with too much.
There are other possibilities at the link, but do let me know how it goes. A pound cake is a perfect place to start.
Thanks for being here!
That’s interesting about the pound cake. I never have any problems with those. I use my grandma’s recipe, so I figured it was just that! I know that I use whole eggs. I do tend to get lazy and scoop the flour out instead of spooning it into the cup. I get in a hurry at times. I am going to look at that link and try again. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for your response.
Melinda
Hi, Melinda…I think we all get lazy or rushed from time to time, but it really doesn’t pay with baking. Once it’s in the oven, there’s no tinkering.
Do try again – since you get your grandmother’s pound cake right, you can make a cake! Come back with good news.