Quickbreads vs Cakes: Understanding Mixing Ingredients -
Type 1: In a typical quickbread (and certain cake recipes), the instructions will say to mix just until combined, no actual stirring or beating. I think this is because (assuming this is made with wheat flour, either white or whole), overstirring or beating would cause the gluten to develop which would result in a chewy texture, not usually desirable in this case.
Type 2: Then there's the type of cake where the sugar and butter are creamed and then if I recall eggs are added and then the flour. It's not a problem to continue mixing it, in fact mixing is not only okay but required. This tends to result in a light, fluffy cake.
My question: If my premise for Type 1 is correct (overbeating develops the gluten), why does it not hold true for Type 2?
Best Answer
Your premise for Type 1 is correct, however you seem to have misunderstood Type 2: It is no problem to continue mixing the butter-sugar-egg mixture, but as soon as the flour is added, the gluten starts to develop and you should just mix until combined.
For Type 2, creaming the butter and sugar helps to incorporate a lot of air into the mixture, resulting in a light and fluffy texture. This continues when the eggs are added. Proper creaming takes some time, but at some point further mixing does not improve the result any more.
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What are the mixing method used for cakes?
4 Ways to Mix Cake Batter for Superior Results- The Creaming Method. The creaming method is the most common for mixing cake batter. ...
- Reverse Creaming. The reverse creaming method, also called the \u201cpaste\u201d mixing method, is another common way to mix cake batter. ...
- The Blended Way. ...
- Creating Light, Airy Foam.
What are the mixing methods used in making quick breads and cakes?
There are three mixing methods used to prepare quick breads and batters, the stirring (muffin) method, the creaming method and the biscuit method.What are the mixing technique for quick breads?
Quick breads are prepared by the blending-, creaming-, or biscuit-method which determines the final texture and crumb of the finished product. The blending-method, also known as the muffin-method, combines the wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in a second bowl before mixing together.What are the necessary ingredients in making quick breads?
Almost all quick breads have the same basic ingredients: flour, leavening, eggs, fat (butter, margarine, shortening, or oil), and liquid such as milk. Ingredients beyond these basic constituents are added for variations in flavor and texture.PTC: Three Methods of Quick Breads | Muffin Method, Creaming Method, Biscuit Method
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Answer 2
It's not a problem to continue mixing it, in fact mixing is not only okay but required
You seem to have misunderstood something. It is as much or as little a problem as with the other type of cake. The more you mix it after full incorporation, the worse your cake texture will be. You have probably overestimated the effect of overmixing in the first type (probably you mean muffin-method, or "throw everything into the bowl at once" cakes). They are still quite edible if you mix them a few minutes with a mixer, they are just not as great as when you mix less. But mixing when the flour is added is required in both cases (to incorporate the flour) and has the same negative effect in both cases (gluten development) so the optimal moment for both is to stop when just incorporated.
The texture of the second method will always be fluffier than the first, this is just how the method works (and the main reason to use it for certain cakes).
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