Stand Mixer - when to use a whisk vs. a paddle?
I have always used the whisk to whip egg whites and cream. And, the paddle for everything else. Recently in a MSK podcast, Chris talked about how using the whisk for a cake makes for a far superior outcome.
Please demystify the use of a whisk vs. paddle -- guidelines on when to use each one, and please contrast the outcome. For example, given the same cake recipe, how will it turn out differently using the whisk vs. the paddle.
Thanks!
Comments
I use the paddle to make a batter - a thick cake batter for example since it will do a good job of incorporating dry and wet ingredients without overworking the flour mixture. (In. general, one does not want to overmix cake batters since yo can develop gluten which will toughen the final product.) I use the whisk for egg whites, whole eggs, creaming butter -0 anytime one is trying to incorporate air into a mixture.
Hi, I have a gluten allergy, so I use only gluten free flours. Do I need to worry about overmixing a cake using these flours if the issue is overworking the gluten or would other factors be at play? Thanks.
Hi Keith - You're right - you don't have to worry about overdeveloping the gluten in gluten-free flour. In fact, some gluten-free bakers think that if you "overmix" the batter for gluten-free baked goods, you will actually end up with a better final product. They believe that the xanthan gum used in gluten-free flour blends for structure needs that extra mixing in order to create fully-developed baked goods. See this former pastry chef's blog and this article from The Michelin Guide. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Chris's response leaves me with a follow on question: Going forward I will use a whisk attachment to cream my butter when making a chocolate cake or chocolate chip cookies. Do I then switch to a paddle attachment when it comes time to mix in the flour/dry ingredients? Or do I make the entire recipe with the whisk attachment, as long as the batter/dough isn't too thick?
Thanks for clarifying.
Hi Lynn - Yes, I would switch to the paddle when adding the dry ingredients. Best, Lynn C.