How to Cream Sugar

Creaming sugar is a process used in baking to mix butter and sugar together.

The term "creamed sugar" refers to a mix of butter and sugar. Creamed sugar is light and fluffy and makes for delicate pastries, cookies and cakes. Creaming sugar is different from simply mixing the butter and the sugar in with all the other ingredients. The creaming process mixes air bubbles into the fat and sugar mixture for added lightness. The process takes a few extra minutes but the resulting texture is worth the effort.

Things You'll Need

• Deep mixing bowl
• Hand mixer or wooden spoon
• Butter

Instructions

1. Set the butter out until it is room temperature. Use as much butter as the recipe calls for. Cut the butter into blocks about 1-inch square.

2. Place the butter into a mixing bowl. Measure out the sugar called for in the recipe. Pour the sugar into the mixing bowl with the butter.

3. Mix the butter and the sugar together with a hand mixer on medium speed for 1 to 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy. When creaming sugar by hand, use a wooden spoon and mix it vigorously until it is light and airy.

4. Add the creamed sugar to the other ingredients as called for in the recipe.

Tips & Warnings

• When working the butter watch it closely. It should be soft but still firm enough to stand up. If the butter starts to turn soupy, stop mixing it and put the bowl into the refrigerator for five minutes until it firms up.

References

• BBC Good Food: Creaming Butter and Sugar
• Serious Eats Technique of the Week: How to Cream Butter
• BBC Food Techniques; Cream Butter by Hand; Lesley Waters