Realized I was creaming butter wrong for years after one failed cake batch

I've been baking for like 6 years and always creamed my butter and sugar until it looked 'light and fluffy'. Last Tuesday I tried making a vanilla layer cake for my niece's birthday and it came out dense and flat. My neighbor who bakes for a living saw my post on Facebook and asked if my butter was actually at room temp. Turns out I was using cold butter straight from the fridge instead of letting it sit out for an hour. Has anyone else had a basic technique totally mess up their bake for way too long?

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3 Comments

anthony_wells3mo ago

Funny how the simplest stuff is what trips us up most.

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nancy_green5mo ago

oh man I actually did the exact same thing for years except mine was worse because I thought room temp butter meant you could microwave it for 10 seconds. that just melts it partially and then you get like greasy butter puddles. your neighbor is totally right though leave it out for a full hour not just like half an hour that still isn't enough time for a cold fridge stick.

3

ramirez.caleb5mo ago

yeah thats a good point actually, microwaving butter for 10 seconds is a trap. i think people see recipes say "room temperature" and just guess. but like you said the real trick is letting it sit out way longer than you think. an hour minimum is the move, i usually do like an hour and a half if im being honest. just gotta plan ahead a bit.

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