The Combination Method

Appears in

Published 1984

About

When a butter cake recipe calls for liquid fat, such as melted butter or oil, I often employ the combination method. It is as old as the simple creaming method, and some schools of thought think it is just as good.

In this method, the dry ingredients are first combined with the liquid fat and eggs, and then whipped egg whites are carefully folded in to lighten the batter and help it rise during baking. Sometimes baking powder and/or baking soda are also added, but these leavenings are not needed when a denser, moister cake is desired, as in Tiffany’s Heart. You can apply the combination method to the creaming method, but I usually find that the extra step of separating the eggs doesn’t make the cake much lighter.

Part of

Butter Cakes

Introduction

Three Ways of Making a Butter Cake