Creaming butter and sugar

sophia103, Apr 14, 8:19am
First time baker here and want to give something a try :)

Just wondering if I can use an ordinary egg beater to do this as have no electric mixers.

If not, what's the easiest way. Thanks

rosathemad, Apr 14, 8:21am
You can definitely use egg beaters - just need to add a bit of muscle too. :-) Just keep beating until the mixture is pale in colour, fluffy and if you rub a wee bit between your fingers, the sugar is dissolved - will probably take 5 minutes or so of constant beating.

sophia103, Apr 14, 8:39am
Thanks rosathemad for your reply. I've read lots of people using electric mixers and even wooden spoons to do this, but didn't see anyone saying they used the normal egg beater so just thought I'd ask. Great I'll definitely try something now :)

cookessentials, Apr 14, 8:40am
Use caster sugar, it will dissolve far more quickly. Make sure your butter is nice and soft ( not melted)

harrislucinda, Apr 14, 9:06am
i dontalwaysuseaelectricbeater.goodwhip withthewoodenspoonjustasgood

kuaka, Apr 14, 9:31am
I think I would prefer to use a wooden spoon rather than an ordinary egg beater - I always used a wooden spoon until I had an electric beater, but I think it would be very difficult to get the old egg beater going quickly enough to be of much use.I could be wrong, but personally I'd use the wooden spoon.

lilyfield, Apr 14, 9:39am
you are right Kuaka.

Money saving hint: don't buy castor sugar use ordinary one and whizz it through your liquidizer

esther-anne, Apr 14, 9:46am
I was taught donkeys' years ago at a cookery school-do it with your hands - and I still do, right up to adding the eggs and creaming them in.Hard work but a fluffy and successful result.

I know this caused controversy in the forum earlier but I didn't bother to reply then.I have no real mechanical aids now - just an old food processor - but even when I owned the most up=to =date Kenwood Chef I still used this method for a gorgeously light and airy sponge!!

lx4000, Apr 14, 7:52pm
use a balloon whisk!! I did this the other day and it's a lot quicker than using a wooden spoon!! Just make sure your butter is soft and not melted.

samsnan, Apr 15, 4:38am
Esther anne funny you should say use your hands. Last year I had a lady (samoan actually) who had worked in a bakery a few years ago baking with me for a school gala day. All her recipes she used her hands for all her mixing. I must say when she started I was very wary how it might turn out but her big banana cake came out beautifully. She was used to doing it in the bakery so it does work.