KitchenAid Mixers: Paddle or Whisk?

[frigilux]

I've had a KitchenAid K5SS mixer for years and it's been a tireless workhorse, turning out many hundreds of batches of cookie dough, heavy sweet roll doughs, and, of course, cake batter.

I've always used the paddle attachment to beat cake batter. The whisk gets used for whipped cream, meringues, and that sort of thing.

I was watching a food show called The Pioneer Woman this afternoon and noticed that the whisk was used for both brownie and carrot cake batters.

My question to all KA users: Have I been using the wrong attachment for cake batter all these years? Which do you use and why?

 

[tomturbomatic]

No you haven't been using the wrong attachment. The Pioneer Woman might not know what attachment to use. For one thing, the wisk would probably over aerate a cake batter. One of the things that KA warns against is over beating since the KA mixes so much faster than a standard mixer and that's with the paddle. Any problem solving site for KA mixers warns against too much beating after the eggs are added because too much air gets beaten into the batter. I can only think of one reason to use the wisk for a cake and that is if oil is used instead of solid shortening. A batter made with oil does not build up volume by having air beat into it like a batter made with solid shortening so you would not over aereate a batter and you sorta need something like the wisk to blend the oil and eggs. The wisk is strong enough for a cake. I use it for a honey cake that uses oil and has a really thin batter. I have also used it to make Divinity and that is some heavy stuff.

 

[rp2813]

I'm pretty sure KA recommends the paddle for batters.  That's all I've ever used, but I'm not an avid baker either.  My mom was, though, and that's all she used.

 

I've seen some thrift store KA and Kenwoods that had sections broken off of their whisks, probably because they were used to do a job intended for a paddle.

 

There's a post from Hans in Lawrence's thread about KA vs. Mixmaster that addresses this issue.  He stated that the KA 3C or 4C models that use a single multi-purpose beater instead of separate paddle & whisk do a better job with batters than the larger models with the paddle.  There may have been another post about tweaking the ingredients to compensate for a paddle.

 

I think this is a YMMV situation.  There's a bakery by me that turns out famously light and airy cakes and I think you can safely bet the farm that they're using a commercial Hobart mixer with a paddle as opposed to an army of Mixmasters.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Ditto on reading the Owner's Book!

Made my best cakes using the PADDLE!

Guacamole, too!

The whisk, however, makes a great meringue!

-- Dave

 

[vintagekitchen]

Paddle, without a doubt.

The whisk isn't stiff enough to properly beat the batter, and incorporate air, not to mention that the whisk may break. And should you use the paddle to make the batter, then try whipping it with the whisk, the batter will be over beaten, and the cake will be heavy, or coarse, or fall, or some combination of the 3. I turn out divine cakes using the paddle, and as Ralph mentioned, using the whisk for batters, especially stiff ones, could lead to the whisk breaking.

Now what the whisk is good for, other than whipping cream, egg whites, or frosting, is perfect mashed potatoes. Once the potatoes are mashed with the paddle, and have been properly thinned with warm milk and melted butter, pop in the whisk, and let it whip the potatoes for a few minutes on high. They will be the lightest, fluffiest potatoes you have ever eaten. Everyone wants to know the secret when they try them.

The whisk is also handy for biscuits, it makes short work of cutting in the shortening, then switch to the dough hook and add the milk on low speed. For pie crusts pulse the mixer in short bursts, as you want the shortening to be much less finely cut than for biscuits, then let the mixture rest 15 or 20 minutes in the freezer, before switching to the dough hook and and adding the ice water on low speed.

The whisk also makes great, smooth devilled egg filling, which can be piped through a pastry bag without clogging the tip.

There are tons of other uses for each attachment, but these are some of the ones I use the whisk for most.

 

[retromania]

Mixmaster

I have my mother's old chrome Sunbeam Mixmaster from the early 60's. It sounds like the motor is dying when I use it, but it keeps going. I've been on the look for another vintage mixer in case this one dies.

 

[mixfinder]

The Test

When using a Kitchen aid if what you're mixing pours or whips use the whisk. If it scoops use a paddle and if the recipe calls for yeast use the dough hook. A paddle blends and with enough time will dissolve sugar but is not a significant source of aeration. You'd be hard pressed to find a mainline bakery that makes cakes from scratch. The composition of mixes compensates for any beating or lack of beating by the baker. Most often in close structured butter cakes calendars from scratch, egg whites are folded in. Chemicals and additives play a huge role in bakery products designed to modify texture, flavor, moisture, mold and stale out.

Retro, if you're Sunbeam has oil ports, give it a drink. If not, send me a picture of your mixer and I'll send you a replacement motor/head.

 

[retromania]

Kelly,

Thanks. I'll check it out.

 

[rp2813]

Kelly makes a good point.  Even smaller independent bakeries probably aren't making their dry mixes from scratch for every cake they bake, which is why they get such good results even if using an industrial strength Hobart mixer.

 

[norgeway]

And that is also why...

You can tell a bakery cake from home made a mile away, artificial flavoring is never as good, imho.

 

[retromania]

I have had my doubts.....

I too have wondered if independent bakery cakes are really from scratch.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Many, many times their baking mixes contain soy, to which I am very allergic, so I have to watch the ingredients on the wrappers for any baked good and cannot trust things in the case to be soy-free.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I've always used the paddle, except when I make a angel food cake.