Hand mixing vs stand mixer for buttercream - never going back

I spent like 2 years making buttercream with just a hand mixer and a bowl. It always came out fine but took forever and my arm would get tired holding the mixer up. Last week I borrowed my neighbor's stand mixer for a birthday cake and wow what a difference. The texture was way smoother and fluffier because I could let it run for a full 10 minutes without stopping. Plus I could actually do other stuff like prep the cake layers while it mixed. I finally bought my own used one off Facebook marketplace for $40. Has anyone else noticed a big difference between these two methods or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

wells.brooke22d ago

Saw a baking blog say the stand mixer aerates buttercream way better.

susan_ward22d ago

300 grams of butter at room temp gets way more air in a stand mixer than any hand mixer I've used. But @wells.brooke, that blog leaves out a big thing - speed control. A stand mixer on low can actually deflate the buttercream if you let it run too long. I tested this side by side last month and the hand mixer gave a fluffier result in half the time. The key is stopping when it looks like clouds, not letting it go until it's glossy.