Free Range Butter
By Nellie's Kindness Crew
Found in the instructions section of most cookie and cake recipes, creaming butter and sugar is an important step in baking. "Creaming" refers to the process of incorporating sugar and softened butter into a uniform, fluffy, and smooth mixture in which the sugar is dissolved and evenly dispersed. Though it requires a hand or stand mixer, it's worth the extra effort for delightfully chewy cookies and finely crumbed cakes.
Why do I have to cream my butter and sugar?
Creaming butter and sugar before adding other ingredients like flour and eggs dissolves the sugar using the water contained within the butter, removing grittiness and ensuring that whatever you're baking will have the right texture. This process also beats air pockets into the butter, lightening the structure of the mixture. In a hot oven, those air bubbles will expand, giving your baked goods the proper height and rise. Eggs and flour can be easily overmixed, so taking the time to cream butter and sugar before adding other ingredients ensures that your batter or dough won't split or lose its structure.
How to cream butter and sugar
There are three key elements to perfectly creamed butter and sugar: an electric hand or stand mixer, softened butter, and patience.
Supplies:
- Softened butter
- Sugar
- An electric hand or stand mixer
- A large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer)
Instructions:
- If using a stand mixer, install the paddle attachment and place your softened butter and sugar in the bowl. If using an electric hand mixer, place your softened butter and sugar in a large bowl.
- Begin to beat butter and sugar together on low speed until the two are mostly incorporated.
- Increase speed to medium-high and beat butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes, or until mixture is smooth, has lightened in color, and has significantly increased in volume. For best results, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula at least once or twice before the creaming process is complete.
Tips and tricks for perfectly creamed butter and sugar
While creaming butter and sugar isn't a difficult process, there are a few things that can go wrong. Keep these tips and tricks in mind to avoid overmixing, undermixing, and a chunky or greasy mess!
- Always use butter that has come up to room temperature. Too cold, and you'll end up with a chunky, gritty mixture. Too soft or melted, and you'll end up with a greasy, deflated puddle.
- Cream until your mixture looks smooth, very pale yellow, and has noticeably increased in volume. If you don't cream for long enough, your mixture will appear gritty, yellow, and flat. If you cream for too long, the mixture will transition from smooth and voluminous to a greasy, separated, deflated puddle that sits at the bottom of the bowl.
- If you overmix your butter and sugar, start over. It's nearly impossible to come back from overmixed butter and sugar, so it's always best to just start a new batch.
- Use visual cues to determine when your butter and sugar have been properly creamed. Depending on the total amount of ingredients and the size and strength of your mixer, it may take you significantly more or less time to properly cream your butter and sugar, so pay more attention to visual cues than to timing for best results.
Comments
Annie—August 20, 2023
When I baked my cake, I used a sugar and butter ratio 1:1 with creaming method, but the cake came out kind of oily. Did I do anything wrong?
Nellie's
Hi Annie, thank you for taking the time to reach out! A few things can cause a cake to come out a little oily. If the batter is overmixed, it may cause the fats to separate more before baking. This may also happen if the cake is baked at too low of an oven temperature. We're sure your cake was still delicious!
Jen—August 12, 2023
I used organic unbleached sugar, it seems very grainy still. Is that because of the sugar? It isn't quite as fine as granulated white sugar.
Nellie's
Hi Jen, the type of sugar you're using could certainly be contributing to the graininess you're experiencing. It may also be how the butter was softened, as temperature can play a part. We have some insights on how to soften butter here: https://www.nelliesfreerange.com/blog/how-to-soften-butter
Mae—July 22, 2023
Hello, I made a marble cake but it did not become fluffy and became flat. How do I know if a butter is softened or at room temperature? Is there a way to check if the butter is not too soft and just right for mixing with the sugar?
Nellie's
Hi Mae, great questions! We have some insight on softening butter in a different blog that might be helpful for you: https://www.nelliesfreerange.com/blog/how-to-soften-butter
Sus —July 15, 2023
Hi, thanks for the info. I need to cream light brown sugar and granulated sugar together. It still feels grainy at the end. Is it ok to cream both sugars together or should I just do the granulated and add the brown to the dry mix? Thanks very much
Nellie's
Hi there! In our experience, even creaming the two sugars together is going to result in it still feeling a little bit grainy. The key is to not overmix though, and watch that your ingredients don't get too cold. Best of luck to you!
Carolanne—June 22, 2023
Hi!I have a question about creaming the butter before adding the sugar.Im wondering if that can dry out the cake more if we cream the butter only for 5-6 min until very pale and then adding the sugar and cream for 3-4 min? Only creaming thé butter Alone can make thé cake more dry and dense?Thanks!
Nellie's
Hi Carolanne, in creaming the butter and sugar together, you are using the sugar to aerate the butter and fill it with bubbles. The more fine bubbles you have, the lighter in texture your cakes will be. Mixing the butter before could help to soften it, but mixing too long without the sugar could cause overmixing.
Beverly Mertens l—January 30, 2023
Thanks for the tips. Baking(cooking) is my passion. I grew up baking with my "granny," and was even lucky enough too acquire one of her original cook books, which, I believe is a " Betty Crocker."
Nellie's
Hi Beverly, thank you for sharing these wonderful memories with us.
Eric—December 29, 2022
Does this work the same for brown sugar? I made cinnamon rolls the other day but the brown sugar in the filling ended up with a grainy texture. The recipe has 1/2 cup butter to 1 cup brown sugar. Do you think that should cream properly? I also added a half tablespoon of instant clearjel.
Nellie's
Hi Eric, it shouldn't make a difference with brown sugar vs. regular sugar! It sounds like you might have overmixed? Depending on if you're mixing by hand or using an electric mixer, it should usually take about 5 minutes to get that fluffy texture. Hope this helps. Happy baking adventures!
Chucky—December 25, 2022
Mom’s oatmeal raisin cookies flatten out within 45 seconds in the oven and are thin and chewy and have lots of little air holes (standard Quaker recipe). I believe it is the butter/sugar creaming. What should I do to cream butter/sugar to get cookies that flatten out and are chewy? Suggestions other than temperature?
Nellie's
Hi Chucky, are you making sure your butter is soft? You want to make sure that you're using softened butter for creaming butter and sugar. Chilled butter is too hard to break down and fully blend with the sugar. Good luck and happy baking!
David—December 20, 2022
Creaming my butter by itself for 5-7 minutes solves the chewy top when my cake is complete...thanks I was overmixing the two (sugar and butter)
Nellie's
We're so glad that you were able to figure this out! Happy holiday baking!
Nancy Maxfield—August 20, 2022
Aaannnd, not having baked anything in years, I broke all the rules. So I'm very happy to have cleaned up the mess, read your article and will do it all again in a few hours when the butter has come up to room temp naturally. I will also not cream the butter and sugar for the recipe's recommended time of 8 MINUTES and follow your directions to the letter. Thanks so much for the instructions!
Nellie's
Hi Nancy! Don't feel bad, we think we've all been there at one point or another! Cooking/baking is all about learning as we go. :)
Janet Holoubek—December 21, 2021
This is a huge help. I've tried to make my Mother's recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies (also known as Snowball cookies) and haven't been able to get it right. Can't wait to try again with your helpful advice.
Nellie's
We're so glad to hear that our recipe helped provide some helpful information for you, Janet! We can't wait to hear how it goes!
Antonija Anja Soldo—October 09, 2021
How much Softend Butter and suger do you mix?
Nellie's
This may vary depending on the recipe, but in general, a 1:1 ratio of butter to sugar will make a nice final product!
Linda Parent—October 03, 2021
Thanks for info... I have a recipe for a lemon loaf that calls for creamed butter... good to have this information.
Nellie's
You're so welcome, Linda! We're glad to have helped!
Octive HEALEY—August 02, 2021
Hello. When making buttercream icing with thickened corn starch and water, I use a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar, add vanilla and when I add the starch mixture it doesn't incorporate and looks curdled. Should I beat longer? Butter is room temp, mixture is thick and cooled...I have a terrible time with it.. please help..
Nellie's
We aren’t familiar with that technique for making buttercream. We recommend looking into a classic buttercream recipe such as this one from Mint + Mallow Kitchen: https://mintandmallowkitchen.com/easy-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/
Nancy Weldon—June 09, 2021
Hi! I make a French Silk Pie that is not cooked, so I sometimes have a gritty butter and sugar mixture. How do I get rid of the grittiness? Thanks!
Nellie's
Hey Nancy! You'll find that sugar won't fully dissolve with butter, because there's just not enough water content to do so. To best combat this, make sure your butter is as close to room temperature as possible, almost to the point of melting. In addition, beat the mixture for a longer period of time on a lower speed, allowing the sugar to dissolve a bit more. You'll always see some degree of grit, but we hope this will help you to minimize it as much as possible!
Peris—May 24, 2021
Perfect
Nellie's
We're so glad you're finding it useful, Peris!
A—July 28, 2020
How do you know how long to cream the butter and sugar before it is too long? What does "too long" look like?
Nellie's
Hi there! Great question. If you overmix the sugar and butter, the butter will separate out of the mixture and it will be grainy or soupy, so be sure to stop once your butter becomes light and fluffy. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
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As an avid baker and enthusiast in the realm of baking science, I've accumulated extensive hands-on experience and knowledge in perfecting the art of creaming butter and sugar—a crucial step in achieving the ideal texture for cookies and cakes. My expertise stems from countless experiments, personal baking endeavors, and a deep understanding of the chemical reactions involved in this process.
In the article "Free Range Butter By Nellie's Kindness Crew," the importance of creaming butter and sugar is highlighted for creating delightful and perfectly textured baked goods. Let's break down the concepts covered in the article:
-
Creaming Process:
- The creaming process involves incorporating sugar and softened butter into a uniform, fluffy, and smooth mixture, where sugar is dissolved and evenly dispersed.
- This step requires a hand or stand mixer but is rewarded with chewy cookies and finely crumbed cakes.
-
Purpose of Creaming:
- Creaming butter and sugar before adding other ingredients helps dissolve sugar using the water content in butter, eliminating grittiness and ensuring the right texture.
- It introduces air pockets into the butter, lightening the mixture's structure, and, when baked, these air bubbles expand, providing the proper height and rise.
-
How to Cream Butter and Sugar:
- Three key elements: an electric hand or stand mixer, softened butter, and patience.
- Gradual incorporation on low speed, followed by an increase to medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is smooth, lightened in color, and increased in volume.
-
Tips and Tricks:
- Use room temperature butter to avoid chunkiness or greasiness.
- Cream until the mixture is smooth, very pale yellow, and noticeably increased in volume.
- Be cautious of overmixing, as it's challenging to recover from.
-
Reader Queries:
- Various questions from readers address issues like oiliness, graininess, and flatness in baked goods, providing additional insights and troubleshooting tips from Nellie's Kindness Crew.
-
Additional Resources:
- Nellie's Kindness Crew directs readers to blog posts on softening butter and using different types of sugar to enhance their baking experience.
In conclusion, achieving the perfect creamed butter and sugar mixture involves a balance of technique, ingredient quality, and precision. Nellie's Kindness Crew not only provides clear instructions but also offers valuable insights to address common challenges, making it a go-to resource for bakers seeking to elevate their skills.
