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The act of combining butter and sugar is one
of the most important steps in baking. Poorly creamed butter can result in
cakes and cookies that are disappointingly dense and coarse, especially in
batters that are too thick to be leavened solely by eggs or chemical
leaveners such as baking soda. Thick batters get their rising power from
the air that's incorporated into butter as the butter is combined with
sugar.
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To cream butter and sugar - begin
with room-temperature ingredients. Butter that's too cold won't blend with
sugar. if it's too warm, it won't hold air. The ideal creaming temperature
for butter is between 65o and 70oF. Also, use a flat wooden spoon. Though
electric mixers and whisks can be used, the texture of wood holds butter
best and keeps it from sliding around the bowl. Begin creaming by
flattening the softened butter against the sides of the bowl. Once it
becomes creamy, lift the butter and fold it over on itself to incorporate
air. Once the butter is light and fluffy, gradually add the sugar. After 3
to 5 minutes of vigorous beating, the butter should be pale and almost
twice its original volume.
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To get maximum aeration from creamed
butter - avoid over-beating it. If the mixture becomes grainy and
looks curdled, it has been over-beaten. Go ahead and use it, but the
mixture won't have the same leavening power that properly creamed butter
would.
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To keep creamed butter from deflating
- if eggs are called for in the recipe, lightly beat them before adding to
the mixture. Also fold in the dry ingredients carefully.
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To cream butter with an electric mixer
- use medium speed. Too much friction can melt the butter and result in a
baked item that's too dense.
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