Cake batter

The mixing method shapes the finished cake. Creaming beats butter and sugar until fluffy before eggs and flour go in, giving a light, even crumb; the reverse-creaming method coats flour with fat first for a fine, tender texture; oil-based batters are simply whisked together. Ingredients at room temperature blend into a smooth, stable batter.

Once flour is added, mix only until no dry streaks remain, because overmixing builds gluten and can make a cake tough or tunneled. A batter that looks curdled after the eggs usually smooths out when the flour goes in. Batter should go into the oven soon after mixing so the leavening still has its full power.