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For each minute of using a stand mixer on high, approximately how long (or how much effort, quantified) should a mixture be mixed (whisked/beaten) by hand to achieve similar results?

Baking recipes are frequently encountered which only supply instructions requiring use of an electric stand mixer. Sometimes these recipes indicate that mixing by hand is possible - and indeed, that used to be the main way mixing was performed.

This question inquires as to mixing/beating batters, specifically; such as cake or gluten-free batters - not kneading.

bakingwithadæmon
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2 Answers2

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I remember when cake mixes included the number of strokes needed to mix the batter by hand. The Betty Crocker FAQ website (a U.S. baking mix company) suggests 150 strokes per each minute of electric mixer time recommended. Note: that is not 150 strokes per minute! So if the directions call for 2 minutes of mixing, that translates to 300 strokes.

Betty Crocker FAQ Site

EDIT

The stroke count in this answer is specifically for use with a cake mix. As KatieK pointed out, mixing time and strokes are really dependent on the ingredients and desired consistency for that particular recipe and step in the recipe.

Kristina Lopez
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There is no direct translation between work times for hand- versus mechanical- mixing.

There's a huge range to the time estimate provided by any recipe; most of the time, the recipe author is really only saying how long it took them to perform that step. This is true for creaming and mixing time, oil heating time, or steak-grilling time - all of which are hugely dependent on a variety local conditions (butter temperature, stovetop heat output or weather).

The best thing to do is match the results of your cooking steps with the expected steps in the recipe. For example "creamed" butter is a specific mixture of fluffy butter and sugar - so keep on mixing until it's done. (This may take a really really long time - I read an old-fashioned ice cream recipe which required hours of mixing.)

KatieK
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