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40 Tips & Tricks Every Budding Baker Should Know

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Gourmandize
Soften Butter in the Microwave 9/40

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Soften Butter in the Microwave

If you forgot to take your butter out of the fridge early enough, you can still soften it relatively quickly. Start by chopping the quantity of butter you need in smaller pieces. Next, fill a microwave-safe bowl with about 2 cups of water, and microwave it (just the water) until it's boiling, about 3 minutes. Add the butter to another microwave-safe dish, and place it in the microwave, removing the water at the same time. Close the microwave immediately to keep the residual steam and hot air inside. The butter should be softened in about 10 minutes. 


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Ingredients

  • 2 large water or soda bottles (empty)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tbsp cocoa powder

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Ready 2 large plastic bottles, cleaned and dried.
  3. Add 1 cup of flour to each bottle.
  4. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to each.
  5. Melt butter, then add equal halves to each bottle.
  6. Add 6 eggs, 3 in each.
  7. Add 1/2 tbsp of baking powder to each.
  8. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream to each.
  9. Shake the bottles thoroughly until the contents are well mixed.
  10. In one of the bottles only, add the cocoa powder.
  11. Beginning with the cocoa powder mixture, add a dolop of batter to the center of a circular
  12. baking tin. Do the same with the other mixture, placing the dolop directly in the center of the previous one.
  13. Continue with alternating additions of each mixture until all batter is used and the tin is full.
  14. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
  15. Serve and enjoy!