Help! Baking my DDs birthday cake but forgot to take the butter out the fridge to warm it.

[SongsFromTheWar]

Help please! I'm by no means a baker but every year, I attempt DD's birthday cake.

I just went to start baking it but realised I'd forgotten to take the butter out of the fridge to warm.

Is this step essential? I'd imagine without doing this, whisking would be a nightmare/ impossible!

I've got visitors arriving in a couple of hours and I really need to make a start now

Try gentle microwave on defrost setting. Few seconds at a time

I usually stick it in the microwave!

Put the butter for 30 seconds in the microwave (if you have one). Did this yesterday and cake was perfect.

Grate your butter into it, will work as well

Put it in the oven while the oven is warming up and watch it like a hawk! If it is a large block of butter chop it up into smaller pieces. Or use the microwave.

You can grate or finely chop the butter before adding it.

A microwave will sort it. Do short bursts, so you don't overdo it and melt it.

Microwave. Make sure you take it out of foil packaging.

Cut it into cubes and microwave, or put it on a plate in a very low oven for a few minutes. Don't microwave it as a big block - it will look solid on the outside and be completely liquid in the middle.

Chop it up the put boiling water into a glass till the glass heats then pour out water and place the Glass over the butter it will soften
In no timeX

Thanks all

I have had an absolute mare!! Baking 2 separate sponges. First one perfectly fine. Second one, I have whisked in the flour instead of beating it in. Do I need to begin that one again? It's a Madeira cake, if that makes any odds.

It might be a bit less light and fluffy (less air) but it'll be completely fine for a DC birthday cake...a bit heavy is good of you are doing lots of decorating.

It will be fine. Fling it in the oven.