Two-Stage or High-Ratio Method

Appears in
top 1000The Professional Pastry Chef
The Professional Pastry Chef

By Bo Friberg

Published 1989

  • About
This is a simple, foolproof way of mixing a cake base, using very few steps in the process. Whole eggs, granulated sugar, cake flour, and baking powder are placed in a mixer and stirred at low speed to form a paste. Emulsified shortening is added and the mixture is whipped at high speed for two minutes. Milk or water is then added along with a flavoring, such as vanilla extract. The batter is whipped at high speed one minute longer.

This method is typically used when a recipe contains a higher portion of sugar than flour by weight. Emulsified shortening, such as the high-ratio variety, is used because the amount of liquid ingredients is also proportionally larger than, for example, in the foaming or creaming methods. This type of batter is always leavened with a chemical agent (baking soda and/or baking powder) rather than relying solely on the air incorporated with a whip. The same rules discussed in the creaming method should be followed. When using the two-stage method, it is important to pay attention to the length of time specified in the mixing steps and to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl several times during the mixing process to produce a smooth and homogenous batter.