Whether you mix a cake by hand or with an electric mixer (often you will do both for the same recipe), mixing affects leavening and therefore the volume and texture of a cake. Different methods of mixing, creaming, stirring, beating, and folding are used for different ingredients and with different goals.
Mixing times and speeds given for electric mixers apply to most portable hand-held mixers with two beaters as well as to ordinary stand mixers. Heavy-duty or quasi-professional stand mixers are considerably more powerful, generally performing tasks in 25 to 75 percent less time and at lower speeds. Consult the ownerΓÇÖs manual for details. When making cakes, do not use a blender or hand-held immersion blender (a light-duty portable mixer with only one beater) or a food processor in place of an electric mixer.
Times and speeds are given for many mixing tasks, to provide guidance for new cooks and bakers. However, the most important signals emanate from the bowl. Learning to bake is learning to recognize when egg yolks and sugar are thick and pale yellow or when butter beaten with sugar has lightened in color and texture, regardless of the clock or the mixer switch.
