Most home bakers have some type of electric mixer in their kitchen arsenal. Some are hand held and some are stand mixers. Either way, an electric mixer is essential for making cakes. There are surprisingly many different methods of making a cake, and most of them require the use of some type of electronic mixer.
Here are five ways to make a cake using a food blender.
one step method
This method requires careful planning to ensure that you add the ingredients in the correct order. As with most baking methods, the important part comes when the liquid is added to the dry ingredients because this starts the chemical reaction with the gluten in the flour.
So the one-step method requires you to put the flour and raising agents into the bowl first, then mix to blend. Add sugar and remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
Fusion method
The blending method doesn’t really require an electric mixer to make, but it can be used on a very low setting to gently combine the ingredients at the end of the process.
The melt method is ideal for syrup, honey or molasses cakes and requires you to melt the fat, usually butter in a pan and then add the syrup and any remaining wet ingredients, after the fat has cooled of course. Then once the mixture has cooled you can pour it into your bowl and add the dry ingredients. It is very important to use the mixer on the lowest setting for this part and mix until just combined.
dry and wet method
The dry and wet method once again works similar to the one-step method. It requires you to put all the dry ingredients in the bowl and mix to blend. In a separate bowl, place all the wet ingredients and mix. For the wet ingredients mixed into the dry ones and mix.
One small point to consider with this method is that when you use white sugars, you can count them as a dry ingredient, but if you use muscovado or brown sugar, you should count them with your wet ingredients.
bread method
An electric mixer can also be used to make dough if you install the dough hooks. Depending on whether you are using fresh or dry yeast, make the required preparations for the yeast component and then add it to the mixing bowl. Add the flour and use the dough hooks to slowly knead the ingredients into a smooth, springy ball of dough.
cream method
The cream method is by far the most common method used to bake cakes and cookies. It is when fat, usually butter, at room temperature is mixed at very high speeds with the sugar. This mixture should be beaten until it becomes pale and creamy. It is then customary for the eggs to be added and mixed well into the butter and sugar mixture followed by the rest of the ingredients as per the recipe. Having an electric mixer for this method is essential.
Each of these methods produces a different result for the desired effect of the cake, bread, or cookie. Some result in a gritty and crumbly texture, others result in a light and fluffy cake, or some can be chewy and soft. Regardless of what you’re making, an electronic mixer is one of the must-have items in any cook’s collection of small kitchen appliances.