Cream fat and sugar or rub fat into flour?

[TheSkiingGardener]

When do you do which? I'm confused as to what effect it has on the end result as well.

Especially as Grandma Ena's fruitcake recipe has the instructions "rub fat into flour or sugar, then add eggs, then rest of dry ingredients". I've tried both and can't tell the difference.

Usually you would cream the fat and sugar together first, then gradually add the egg, then fold in the flour.

Cake - cream butter and sugar

Pastry - rub fat into flour

In reality - bung the lot in the food processor and whizz

SoMuchToBats is that a cake thing? Just made scones and it was definitely a rub fat into flour thing. Maybe I should try making scones the other way.

Just curious as to whether it's a texture thing, or rising thing.

As for the all-in-one method. I tried to make a Victoria Sponge that way and ended up with 2 flatish discs that tasted of haddock. Seriously, DH agreed they were haddocky too.

I can normally bake, honest. But when I fail I do it Properly!

Hmmm, have just used my quota of the word "thing" for the week. Apologies.

Yes, a cake thing - I wouldn't make scones that way. If just a sponge cake though I bung it all in and whisk with electric hand whisk!

When you make a plain cake you rub the fat into the flour. With a richer cake, such as Victoria sponge, you cream the sugar and marg till fluffy then add eggs/flour. Its all to do with lightness required.
When you use the all in one method its important to add extra teaspoon of baking powder.

Didn't know that about the baking powder jangly thanks. That may help in future.

So the fat and sugar creaming incorporate the air then I guess, whereas for things like scones you want more texture.

The problem with all in one cakes is they don't rise properly and if you do add extra baking powder, they have that extra baking powder taste, iykwim.

Creaming butter and sugar with electric whisk for 5 minutes, then adding eggs from a jug very slowly and then folding in dry ingreds with a metal spoon guarantees a good rise, IME.

I don't make scones, but I do make pastry. In the food processor!

If I make cakes adding the eggs slowly it ALWAYS curdles, no matter what I try. If I add them fairly quickly then it seems to work better for me.

The pastry I've had most success with is made by having freezing cold hands and pulling it together very quickly. Was extremely crumbly and melt in the mouth. Icing sugar pastry worked well with mince pies too.

I see why it was called domestic science for a while now

hmm would have thought for a fruit cake that you'd be creaming the sugar and butter first then adding eggs then folding in your flour then fruit

It's a very old recipe. It's for a fruit cake very similar to what I remember as Manor House or something. I think because it's quite a dense crumb it's not so important. Whichever way I make it it gets devoured anyway.

Oooh, I remember Manor House cake! Yummy! I think the one you are doing could be a cut-and-come-again. Half amount of fat to flour. Rub in method. I'm pretty sure its the richer fruit cakes you do the creaming method. (like Christmas cake)