About mixing

“Mixing” is a general term that includes beating, blending, binding, creaming, whipping, and folding. In mixing, two or more ingredients are evenly dispersed in one another until they become one product. This, in general, is what the other processes accomplish also, but there are distinctions.

• Beat. The ingredients are moved vigorously in a back-and-forth, up-and-down, and around-and-around motion until they are smooth.
• Blend. Ingredients are mixed so thoroughly that they become one.
• Bind. Occurs when ingredients adhere to each other, as when breading is bound to fish.
• Cream. To beat fat and sugar together until they take on a light, airy texture.
• Whip. Very vigorous mixing, usually with a beater of some type, that incorporates air into such foods as whipping cream and egg whites.
• Fold. One ingredient is gently incorporated into another by hand with a large spoon or spatula.

There are many methods for combining the ingredients of cakes and other baked products, but the most commonly used are the conventional creaming, conventional sponge, single-stage quick-mix, pastry-blend, biscuit, and muffin methods.