Learn how to cream butter and carbohydrate with a mixer or by hand. Creaming is an important stride in many baking recipes similar cookies and cakes. It's not complicated only knowing what to look for and the best creaming technique will make a large difference in your broiled goods.

This creaming tutorial will take you step by step through the process so you can foam butter and saccharide like a pro!

overhead shot of bowl with butter and sugar

If you've ever wondered why some dessert recipes, like cookies and cakes, instruct you to cream the butter and sugar I'g hither today to articulate it upwards for you and share my best tips for creaming.

Many recipes have this step but very few actually explainwhy it'south important or even explain the correct style to practise it. So, I thought – why not a tutorial? Creaming is such a disquisitional step in baking recipes – when it'south not done correctly your cookies and cakes may turn out flat, soggy or fifty-fifty greasy. Washed properly, your cakes and cookies will puff up and accept a wonderful tender nibble.

What is Creaming?

In a nutshell, creaming is combining a softened fat (like butter) with sugar until it turns creamy, light and fluffy.

Creaming can be washed by paw with a bowl, spoon, and fork, or with a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Doing it by hand definitely takes more than effort, only it's helpful to know in case y'all're e'er without a mixer and need to make an emergency batch of cookies (it could happen!).

When yous foam butter and sugar together, you're accomplishing one thing: incorporating lots of air into the mixture which volition assistance naturally leaven your broiled goods and create a tender crumb.

How long to cream butter and sugar will vary depending on whether you're doing it by mitt or with a mixer. With a mixer information technology will take between i and three minutes. By hand, it volition accept longer.

Whether y'all cream with a mixer or by manus, the best mode to know if your butter and sugar are creamed is by looking at information technology. As more air is incorporated into the mixture y'all will notice the color volition lighten and the texture volition turn fluffy. Y'all know you've reached the right stage when the mixture is pale yellow and soft simply with enough structure to hold soft peaks.

It is possible to over-cream butter and sugar. If creamed besides long the mixture will plough white and, if yous use it, will give your broiled goods a dense, about mucilaginous, texture. So, don't leave your mixer unattended and continue an centre on the mixture so you can come across when it'due south ready. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to correct over-creamed butter and sugar.

Softened Butter

Starting with softened butter is an important part of the procedure. If the butter is too cold it will be hard to incorporate air and your mixture volition be likewise dense. If information technology'southward too hot the mixture volition non have enough air and will be oily. In both cases, your cakes and cookies will accept a dumbo texture instead of the lite and tender nibble.

And then, how do you know if your butter is softened to the right temperature? (Learn how to soften butter chop-chop.)

  • You tin go technical and mensurate the temperature of your butter past sticking a thermometer in it. Butter that is at a temperature of lx°F is softened enough for creaming.
  • Or you tin can tell if your butter is softened to the right temperature by pressing on it with a fork. If the butter is too cold it will have no requite. Softened butter will nonetheless hold it'due south shape, but when y'all press on it with the fork the butter will give and the fork will sink into it.
  • If your butter is likewise warm it will have turned oily and then soft that it can't agree its shape.

How fast your butter will soften depends on the temperature of your kitchen, just leaving it out at room temperature for at least an hour is ordinarily enough time. If your kitchen is hot, information technology will need less time and if information technology'south chilly it may have longer.

over head shot of bowl with butter and sugar

How to Cream Butter and Sugar

Once your butter is softened it's fourth dimension to foam! The easiest and fastest way to foam butter and sugar is with a stand mixer or handheld mixer (if using a stand mixer, fit information technology with the paddle attachment). The process is the same for both:

  • First, place the butter and sugar in the bowl.
  • Set the mixer to medium speed and cream the butter and saccharide for one to three minutes. Information technology'southward a good thought to terminate at least once to scrape down the sides of your bowl to ensure an evenly creamed mixture.
  • Once the mixture turns pale yellowish in color and has a light and fluffy texture, y'all're done.

How to Cream Butter and Sugar by Mitt

If you lot notice yourself without a mixer yous can cream butter and sugar by hand. It'south a great arm conditioning!

  • Offset, it helps to cut the butter into thin pieces and mixing them with the carbohydrate before you kickoff creaming them together.
  • Using a fork, printing the tines into the butter and sugar to fully combine them. When combined, the mixture resembles a paste.
  • Grab a wooden spoon and crush the butter and sugar together using the same motility you would to scramble eggs. If it's easier, y'all can also use the fork to cream them.
  • Be sure to scrape the bowl a few times!
  • Depending on how fast yous tin can mix, it will take 3 to five minutes to achieve the correct color (stake yellow, remember?) and a fluffy texture. There should be no streaks of butter in the mixture – all of it should be well combined.

Even though creaming simply takes a few minutes, it makes a big difference in the quality of your baked appurtenances. I hope yous've found this mail helpful! Let'south review, shall we?

  • Y'all can cream butter and saccharide with a mixer or without a mixer!
  • Start with softened butter that holds its shape but, when pressed with a fork, it gives to the pressure. Y'all can also use a thermometer to measure the temperature – 60°F is ideal.
  • Foam the butter and saccharide until it turns stake xanthous in color and has a light and fluffy texture, which, if using a mixer, takes about i to three minutes on medium speed.
creamed butter and sugar in bowl

Want to practice your creaming skills? My chewy soft sugar cookies and soft and chewy oatmeal cookies are great recipes to endeavour.

Last Updated on March 6, 2021

All text and images © DOROTHY KERN for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If yous desire to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is non guaranteed to be accurate.

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Published on: December 15, 2019