Yes, you can cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer, which takes 3 to 5 minutes using medium speed.
Start by softening the butter to room temperature, then beat the butter briefly on it's own and then slowly add the sugar and mix it, until the texture becomes light, fluffy and pale yellow.
To cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer, prep the butter by starting with room temperature butter at around 65 F to 68 F, which is where the butter should hold a gentle thumbprint but not melt.
Then beat the butter using the hand mixer for 30 seconds on medium speed for a minute before adding the sugar, as this breaks the butter down and gives the sugar a great surface to adhere to.
Then turn the hand mixer to a low-medium speed and add sugar in batches, which prevents the sugar from flying out of the bowl while you're mixing it.
Next beat and scrape.
Stop the hand mixer at least once or twice during this time to scrape down the sides of the bowl, using a silicone spatula to ensure that it's mixing evenly.
And don't rely just on time, as you're done creaming the butter and sugar, once the mixture reaches the point in which there is a noticeable increase in volume and it turns a pale yellow color and also feels light and fluffy.
You can also cream butter and sugar by hand.
To cream butter and sugar by hand you simply need softened butter at around 65 F to 68 F and a rubber spatula or sturdy wooden spoon and a bowl.
Once you have these things, you then vigorously mash and smear the mixture against the side of the bowl for around 10 minutes until the mixture for the butter and sugar you're creaming becomes pale and fluffy.
The steps to follow to cream butter and sugar by hand includes:/
Start by softening the butter.
Ensure that the butter is at room temperature, as the butter should yield to gentle pressure and not be melted or greasy.
Mash the butter.
Place the butter into a mixing bowl and then use the back of a wooden spoon or sturdy fork to mash it until it's smooth.
Next add in the sugar.
Pour the sugar into the bowl and mash the sugar into the butter to prevent it from flying out of the bowl.
Then smear and beat the mixture.
Use the back of a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula, vigorously to press and also smear the mixture for the creamed butter and sugar against the inside walls of the bowl.
You should also rotate the bowl as you do this as rotating the bowl helps trap air and also ensures that the sugar granules are also incorporated completely into the fat.
And continue this until the mixture transforms from a grainy, yellow paste into a pale, smooth and fluffy consistency.
This step usually takes around 10 minutes of continuous stirring.