Hi everyone,

I've been wondering... what exactly makes cakes fluffy. I've been making white cakes from scratch but it always turned out being more on the dense side. Then I thought it could be because I've been baking with Slenda Half. So, I baked a cake with real butter and real sugar. I noticed the difference in the texture. It was more fluffier than being baked with splenda half. But I'm trying to cut some calories without losing the fluffy texture. What is the best way to keep the texture while cutting down on calories? I'd appreciate if anyone would give me any advise. Thank you.

you can actually make a really light sponge cake that doesn't have any butter at all, its just eggs, sugar, flour, flavouring. Its really light and fluffy but no good if you needed it for tiers, carving etc. HTH

The fluffiness of a cake made with butter and sugar comes from the creaming of the butter and sugar together. The sugar granules punch holes in the butter, creating tiny pockets of air. Additionally, sugar is hydroscopic, which means it attracts moisture. You simply cannot make a butter cake that has the taste and texture of a true butter cake without using real butter and real sugar.

If you want to cut calories, eat a smaller piece of cake.

Thank you all for answering my question. But here your answer gives me another question though.... How long do I really need to cream butter and sugar together? Is 2 miniutes long enough??? Is there such a thing OVER BEAT while creaming butter and sugar?? Or does it apply only once dry iingridients are added...???

yes, you can over-beat..but two minutes sounds right to me..you want to get it to a very light yellow..it starts light and I always want to cut it off early..but if I'm patient enough after about 2 minutes all of a sudden it's almost white..thats when it's perfectly creamed..

Here's a great scratch baking and general baking techniques website:

www.joyofbaking.com

HTH

Creaming for 2 minutes is not longer enough for the sugar to dissolve completely.

It will take 5-8 minutes depending upon
1. the temperature of the ingredients
2. the speed of the electric mixer
3. the type of beater you are using
4. [the final test] can you feel grains of sugar, if a dab is rubbed between your fingers?

The amount of time depends on the mixer you are using, the amount of butter and sugar in the recipe, the temperature of the butter, and the ambient temperature of the room. You really just have to do it until it looks right. Very very pale yellow, almost the color of whipped cream and the texture of cream that has just started to thicken.

I agree with everyone...creaming the butter and sugar long enough. I cream mine on medium speed about 5 minutes. It should look like pterrell described.

I usually cream my butter and sugar for approx 8 minutes, no matter what the recipe states. Got that tip here on CC. What a difference compared to when I used to do it for just a minute or two (before I understood anything about the science of baking.)

Warren Brown from Cake Love has an awesome YouTube video on his Yellow Butter Cake that really explains the process of creaming butter and sugar.

Creaming the butter and sugar created small air pockets that when baked create the lighter texture in a butter cake. But technically eggs and leaveners (baking soda and baking powder) are what makes fluffy product. With-out the eggs the butter and sugar collapse during baking.