Many recipes starts by creaming together sugar and butter.
Creaming? Why?
In this post I have added many pictures and explans how to sucsessfully make a batter/dough by creaming butter and sugar together» and how to succeed with your cakes and cupcakes.
It is not nessesery to have a standig mixer, the principles are the same whether you use a mixmaster. Use the whip beaters if you use the mixmaster.
First of all: To all of you who have a standing mixer. Check that the paddle attaschment is attashed in the right position. The distanse between the beater and bowl shal not be more than a thin paper can slide under without getting stuck.
Is the beater attached too high, the butter will coat the bottom of the bowl and will not be creamed.
The big nut on the attachment is for tighteing and loosening and the beater can be adjusted in height. It takes some effort to find just the right height, but it’s worth it.
All ingredients should be weighed, measured and put out on the couter until they are at room temperature.
Cold ingredients are «not relaxed» and will provide a heavier and compact finished product.
In a separat bowl sift together, flour, vanillapowder, cocoa powder, spices, salt and baking powder as your recipe requests.
In a separat container measure the milk, water, cream, vanilla extract, and coffee and other liquid ingredients your recipe requests.
Crack eggs into a small separate bowl . It is wise to do this step, because if you break the eggs directly into the dough, you have no control of the egg shell fallin in or if the egg is bad and should be replased.
To get air into the dough:
Measure butter and sugar in your mixing bowl. Cut the butter into smaller pieces.
Turn the machine on to medium speed.
At first you have to stop the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beater.
Turn the machine on medium speed again.
After 3 to 5 minutes it should be light, airy and creamy.
Why?
To cream butter with sugar provides a chemical reaction that extends the structure of the butter and let air get into the dough. Quite simply, the rest of ingridiensene in the recipe should encapsulate these micro air bubbles and expand, when the cake rise during baking in the oven
After this stage, it comes no more air into the dough.
The secure stage:
When the creaming is finished, it is time to add the eggs.
At this stage the main goal is to not beat the air out of the creamed butter.
Add the first egg and start the machine, now on low speed. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl again.
When you see that the egg is fully incorporated, add the next egg. This goes on to all the eggs in your recipe are added.
Stop the machine as soon as the last egg is fully incorporated.
The critical stage:
Flour has an special ability to «kill» all the air in a dough, and it does so, in a very short time.
So in this final stage, it is important that the flour and liquid mixture is ready and are right at your side.
Now it will go fast 
Now you have to «think» the flour mixture into three units. Start by adding the first unit to the dough while the mixer is still turned off.
Put the rest of the flour mixture on the counte with in range.
Restart your mixer at the same speed as when you added the eggs.
and pour quickly in half of the liquid. Switch quickly to adding next unit of flor mixture, quickly followed by the rest of the liquid. At last add the rest of the flour mixture and STOP the machine after 5 seconds.
The dough is lumpy and uneven. The flour is not fully mixed in and this is not really looking that good
But that’s the way it should be.
A last stage and the dough will be ready.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure to scrape up from the bottom of the bowl too, so there are no remaining lumps left at the bottom.
Turn on the machine at full speed and count …. 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 and 10 seconds, STOP!
Now that the flour is incorporated in the dough, do not fall for the temptation to mix any longer, then the dough will «die» and the cakes turns out compact and heavy.
The dough is now ready to be filled in a cake pan or muffin tins and be baked.
Good luck!
English is not my specialty, but if you read with a positive and open mind, I`ll think you will understand most of my writing. 🙂
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