Creaming Butter And Sugar

Baking By MamaGeese Updated 25 Apr 2020 , 12:27pm by Laetia

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MamaGeese Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 1:33am
post #1 of 22

Need advice....I see so many recipes that call for room temperature butter to be creamed with sugar for 5-10 (for pound cake). In my experience you will end up with a bowl of soup doing this. Even when I start out with about 62 degree butter, after about a minute it's already looking sweaty and warm. I have to stop at least twice and put everything in freezer for 5 minutes. I end up spending 30 minutes just for the creaming stage. I keep my kitchen very cool. Just the friction from paddle seems to warm it all up too much. I never beat it higher than speed 4 though. I bake mostly pound cakes so I really need the creaming step to be perfect.  There has to be a faster way..Advice????

21 replies
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kakeladi Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 1:58am
post #2 of 22

The only time I can think of that anything like that has happened to me was recently when I used organic cane sugar instead of “regular “ white sugar It’s much more grainy & light tan Could that be something that you are using? It also sounds like you are letting the butter get to warm Have you tried mixing it sooner? Don’t know if any of that helps

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SandraSmiley Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 2:59am
post #3 of 22

I bake a lot of pound cakes, but I don't recall have any issue with the creamed butter and sugar becoming too soupy and I do beat it for a good amount of time.

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MamaGeese Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 4:12am
post #4 of 22

Just use Dixie Crystal pure cane sugar and good butter. I actually cut the butter up cold and let it soften just enough so the paddle will go through it. I usually start adding sugar when butter is about 63 degrees , I check temp after every minute on speed 4 (KA) if mixture gets about 68-69 degrees I stop and put in freezer for 5 minutes, (a tip from Shirley Corriher) This works but it's annoying. I've read after 70 degrees butter will get too warm and not cream properly. 

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Laetia Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 11:58am
post #5 of 22

Bump

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kakeladi Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 12:57pm
post #6 of 22

Boy I just don’t know—-if Sandra couldn’t help I certainly can’t — sorry

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kakeladi Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 1:00pm
post #7 of 22

Boy I just don’t know—-if Sandra couldn’t help I certainly can’t — sorry Hey just had a thought Sandra maybe take this post to K8 over on the other board? Maybe someone there will have an idea that would help

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SandraSmiley Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 1:57pm
post #8 of 22

Good idea, kakeladi!  I will post the question on Keep Calm and Cake On.

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SandraSmiley Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 2:04pm
post #9 of 22

Done!  I will pass on all comments.

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SandraSmiley Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 2:25pm
post #10 of 22

OK, Kate came on and said she just cubes her cold butter, straight from the fridge, and allows the action of the mixer to warm it enough to cream the mixture.

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MamaGeese Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 2:46pm
post #11 of 22

Thanks everyone!! I wish KA would come up with a beater paddle that stayed cool while mixing! I've tried keeping the bowl cool from the outside, but it didn't work very well and was so clumsy. 

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kakeladi Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 4:31pm
post #12 of 22

Sounds like something worth trying Let us know if that works:)

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SandraSmiley Posted 18 Apr 2020 , 5:23pm
post #13 of 22

Here are all the responses from Keep Calm so far:


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SandraSmiley Posted 19 Apr 2020 , 1:42am
post #14 of 22

More replies:

  • Angela Mason
    Angela Mason I literally throw everything in and beat never had an issue x
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  • Katy Nott
    Katy Nott I've never had this problem with butter and sugar. Is your butter different to ours in some way? More water content? I use butter that is just room temperature (you can poke your finger through it without meeting too much resistance). I then cream the butter a little, then add the sugar so the butter is already in a consistency to mix in with the sugar.
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  • Chris Hampton
    Chris Hampton Maybe this is a problem specifically to pound cakes where you're using equal amounts of butter and sugar? I never have this problem and I live in Florida... I've used 70 degree butter in an 80 degree kitchen, but I'm mainly making cakes that have twice as much sugar as butter.
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    • Katy Nott
      Katy Nott My normal sponge recipe uses equal amounts of butter and sugar
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    • Chris Hampton
      Chris Hampton I don't know then. Maybe she's using "butter spread" instead of butter.
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    • Chris Hampton
      Chris Hampton I do it like you do... cream the butter a little and then add the sugar. I've found that the butter has to be soft, or it just sticks to the bowl and doesn't cream properly.
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    • Sandra Griggs Smiley
      Sandra Griggs Smiley Chris, she didn't specify the brand, but did say it was a good quality butter.
      Edit or delete this
    Sandra Griggs Smiley
    Write a reply...

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SandraSmiley Posted 19 Apr 2020 , 1:43am
post #15 of 22
June Kowalczyk
June Kowalczyk I have made a TON of pound cakes. Never fiddled with all the “correct” creaming butter process. Like Angela and Katy, I basically throw everything together. I mean I cream the room temp butter, add sugar and eggs. Get nice and blended, and add rest of the ingredients. Never had a pound cake fail. And with a sponge, I did want Katy told me, everything into the mixer, blend till combined, done. Sponge turns out every time.
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Kate N Dennis Korzekwa
Kate N Dennis Korzekwa then you guys have never had the problem of the cake batter not emulsifying -- yes within different brands, butter can have varying amounts of water content which can ruin the batter if it's too soft initially -- and it just ain't gonna work if it doesn't all come together -- different spreads will also either, never work ay all or need to be handled very carefully -- but butter can be that way too --
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Brenda Williams
Brenda Williams Sorry I don't have any advice because I've never had a problem using room temperature butter. But maybe it depends on everyone's definition of what room temperature means. Room temperature to me means not straight out of the fridge. The butter is only soft enough so that it will make a slight impression when you push on it with you finger. But not so soft that you can smush it.
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Moira Ferguson
Moira Ferguson I am one who creams alot for my recipes, never have i ever made soup , its not even close to a liquid consistency . I imagine the brand of butter may be an issue , Ive used room temp even in the summer
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Kate N Dennis Korzekwa
Kate N Dennis Korzekwa think of cut out sugar cookies -- if you want the nice sharp edges you freeze your cut outs before baking -- now of course not everyone does this but I'm just saying that's one known way to get that effect --
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Laetia Posted 19 Apr 2020 , 1:22pm
post #16 of 22

Bump

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MamaGeese Posted 20 Apr 2020 , 2:39am
post #17 of 22

Sandra your the best, thank you and everyone! I use land o lakes real butter, Dixie crystal or domino sugar. Gonna try again tomorrow, maybe I'm being too nit picky ..

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SandraSmiley Posted 20 Apr 2020 , 3:39am
post #18 of 22

MamaGeese, when I cream my butter and sugar for a pound cake, it gets lighter in color and has a very light, silky consistency.

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MamaGeese Posted 20 Apr 2020 , 1:13pm
post #19 of 22

Sandra, what speed on KA do you use for creaming and for how long? Also, I'm wondering if using the scraper paddle instead of regular paddle could make a difference? Sometimes I use one and sometimes I don't. I have the metro scraper paddle. Thank you!

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SandraSmiley Posted 20 Apr 2020 , 2:19pm
post #20 of 22

MamaGeese, I never turn the KA higher than # 2 when creaming butter and sugar together and usually mix for two or three minutes, probably never as many as five.

I don't know what my paddle is called, just the plain one that came with the mixer and it does not have a scraper.

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jchuck Posted 20 Apr 2020 , 10:41pm
post #21 of 22

Bumpity Bump Bump 

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Laetia Posted 25 Apr 2020 , 12:27pm
post #22 of 22

Bump

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