Dame Mary Berry, the beloved baking icon and former Great British Bake Off judge, has shared a crucial tip for achieving perfect cakes: avoid low-fat butter. The 90-year-old culinary legend, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu and has authored over 70 cookbooks, emphasises that butter with a fat content below 75% can ruin your bake.
Writing for BBC Good Food, Berry explained that lower fat spreads and butters contain more water. 'When it evaporates it causes layers to bind together in your mix,' she said. 'I always aim for over 75%. In the UK we tend to have high fat content so it's not usually a problem, but it's always worth checking your ingredients.'
High-fat butter (above 75%) has less water, which helps preserve air pockets during baking, resulting in a lighter, moister, and more delicate cake. Berry also offered a handy trick for softening butter: cut it into cubes from the fridge, place in a bowl of lukewarm water for 10 minutes, but only soften the amount needed to avoid compromising flavour when re-chilling.
Whether you're a beginner or a professional, following Berry's advice can elevate your sponge cakes and other bakes to new heights of creaminess and texture.
