Why is the paddle and not the whisk used for making cake batter in a planetary mixer?
And would there be a difference in the cake using the whisk and the one using the paddle? If so, what would it be?
Best Answer
In the recipe book for my Kenwood (I'll try to find it to post examples), there are some whisked cakes, but most are beaten. This is a UK model, and we tend to use solid fat rather than oil in our cakes. The whisk tends to collect the fat inside, rather than mixing evenly, so you need to knock it down more often. With unsoftened butter the whisk also flexes quite a lot which may not be a good thing long term. When mixing slowly the beater definitely mixes more evenly than the whisk (a reasonable approximation of folding at minimum speed).
Whey baking other recipes I use the whisk for a whisked recipe (usually folding the flour in by hand), and the beater otherwise. It is quite easy to over-mix though.
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Should I use a whisk or paddle for cake batter?
Surprisingly, almost all top chefs [and even common bakers like you and me] all recommend using the flat beater for the cake batter. Sometimes the flat beater attachment will also be called a paddle attachment as well. The flat beater is explicitly designed for mixing without aerating your batter.Can I use paddle attachment instead of whisk?
Although the beaters on most hand mixers more closely resemble the KitchenAid's whisk attachment, the paddle is right for most jobs on the stand mixer. It's especially effective for combining heavy cookie batter and doughs, but it's also good at mixing cake batters, muffins, mashed potatoes, and quick breads.What is the paddle attachment used for?
The flat beater attachment, also known as the paddle attachment, is the most commonly used attachment for stand mixers because it is highly versatile and great for a wide variety of mixing tasks in the kitchen. If your recipe calls for ingredients to be creamed, beaten or mixed, this is the attachment to reach for.When would we use the paddle attachment for a mixer?
The paddle attachment is a stand mixer attachment mostly used for whisking and mixing ingredients without getting too much air in them while you're stirring it all together in your mixing bowl.How to Mix Cake Batter (A Real Time Video)
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