Sometimes you just get an urge to bake, stat. But many cake, cookie and muffin recipes call for room temperature butter and eggs — and won’t work well if your dairy is cold. But don’t panic — you don’t need to wait the hours it would take to bring them up to temperature. There are a few tips and tricks you can learn to keep on track and get your butter and eggs up to room temperature quickly?
Why do your ingredients need to be at room temperature?
Many recipes work best when all your ingredients are at room temperature (except when otherwise specified — think pie crusts and scones, for instance). Not only is it hard to work with cold butter, but when it’s still chilled, it doesn’t mix as well with the other ingredients in your batter. It’s the same story with eggs.
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But it’s super easy to bring butter and eggs to room temperature quickly. Here’s how:
How to soften butter
Instead of microwaving your butter, which can leave you with a big, melty mess, follow these steps to soften butter in a pinch:
- Cut your butter into thin slices and arrange them on a plate
- Leave the butter slices uncovered on your counter until they’re soft to the touch (about half an hour)
How to bring eggs to room temperature
Cold eggs don’t beat well — and it’s tricky to make a meringue with chilled egg whites. But you can easily warm them up, no cracking required.
- Place your eggs (still in their shells) in a bowl, mug or dish. Fill up your vessel of choice with warm tap water (but not boiling) until the eggs are covered
- Let the eggs sit in the water while you tackle the other parts of your recipe. They should be ready to use by the time you need them (it will only take a few minutes)
Now, the only thing left to do is start baking!
