Butter Baking

You butter believe butter is the ultimate ingredient when baking. “It makes cakes moist, keeps cookies soft and pastries flaky,” says Heather Mubarak of the blog Browned Butter Blondie, who is, admittedly, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic fan of butter.

But not all butter is created equal when it comes to baking. Changing the temperature, type of butter or the salt content can make the difference between baking perfection — and disaster. “Butter plays an important role in both the flavor and texture of baked goods,” Heather says. Use her better butter tips to get consistent results in the oven.

Cold butter

Cold butter straight out of the fridge is the recipe for success when making flakier pastries, such as croissants. The water in butter evaporates in the oven, which helps pastries rise, and gives them that covetable light, fluffy texture.

Softened butter

When a recipe calls for “creaming” butter and sugar — the process of beating the two ingredients together until light and fluffy — always use softened butter. “The mixture becomes aerated, and the air bubbles expand during baking, which acts as a leavener,” Heather says. As a general rule, “If the butter is still cold and you can leave an imprint of your finger in the butter, it’s ready to be creamed.”

Melted butter

Only melt the butter for your recipe when you want your baked goods to have a cakey, dense texture — perfect for muffins, pancakes and waffles. Or, replace vegetable or canola oil in a recipe with melted butter to achieve a similar texture with better flavor. It makes a great substitute for oil in brownies.

Browned butter

“With just a small pot and a wooden spoon, you can transform a simple stick of unsalted butter into a rich and fragrant, slightly nutty thing of magic,” Heather says. This liquid gold, or browned butter, heightens the flavor of sweet (and savory!) goodies and adds a complexity and richness you just can’t get with regular butter. Use it in cookies, cupcakes, biscuits, blondies and more. “If you ask me, browned butter belongs in everything,” Heather says.