Techniques
Baking
Skill
Beginner
1 min

Whisk eggs until light and fluffy to build lift in cake batter

Beat eggs with a whisk/mixer until they become light and fluffy (about 90 seconds) to incorporate air.

Start by whisking the eggs alone until they visibly lighten and increase in volume. This aeration helps create a softer, lighter crumb in the finished bake.

The short version

  • Aeration early on helps a lighter sponge

What you need

  • mixing bowl
  • hand whisk or electric whisk

How to do it

  1. 1

    Add eggs to a mixing bowl.

    Watch this step
  2. 2

    Whisk with a hand whisk or electric whisk until light and fluffy (around 90 seconds in real time).

    Stop when the mixture looks noticeably lighter and airy.

    Watch this step

What goes wrong

Stopping before the eggs become light and fluffy

Keep whisking until you see clear lightening and increased volume.

Why it works

Whisking traps air in the egg foam, which expands in the oven and contributes to rise and tenderness.

Put it to use

Learn next