Q&A for How to Cream Butter

Keep it in a butter bell! This is a ceramic container that has separate compartments for water and butter, which helps keep the butter fresh and at a consistent temperature.

If you prefer margarine over butter, then it's fine to use it instead for creaming. It may be a good idea to test different brands though, to find the one that creams best and has the flavor you most prefer for baking.

Creaming is used most for such cakes as: sponge cakes (including Victoria sandwich cakes), butter cakes, many fruit cakes, Madeira cakes, etc. The recipe will usually tell you that the creaming method is required.

You can tell that the butter and sugar are creamed when the mixture appears light and fluffy. The color will appear light yellow, almost white. Most of all though, you'll notice a change in volume: the mixture should have doubled in size once creamed.

A metal spoon allows for ease of cutting through the mixture without warming it, allowing you to use a cutting action rather than a beating action to fold in the flour. It is important to avoid beating because it allows you to keep the air bubbles intact, essential for a light cake at the end of baking.

Use a large bowl instead of a small one. This gives the butter more room to move around without splattering. It also helps to start blending on a high speed and then lower the speed once the butter begins to cream.

It's not usually recommended since it's harder to blend a large amount. What may happen is that it could leave sugar chunks in the butter. Pour the sugar into the bowl in intervals for easier creaming.

I would suggest not using a whisk, as it will get stuck inside the whisk. You can use a spoon or fork, but I like forks better to help break up chunks.

Yes, creaming butter requires sugar. You need the sugar to get the right texture.

Caster or superfine sugar is easiest, as it has very fine granules. If you'd like, mix some nutmeg and cinnamon in for added flavor.

Easy! Cream until it all turns one sold colour. Taste it and if it seems too sweet or salty, just mix more till it’s just right.

Consider putting hot water in your metal bowl before you start creaming, then empty it and dry fully before you put any butter or sugar.

This could be because the butter was too soft, or you added too much milk if it is buttercream frosting, or it could be that you have overbeaten it if you're making cream cheese frosting. Also, a hot kitchen can make frostings go runny, so be mindful of the temperature. It could also be buttermilk that was not strained out properly in the making of the butter.