Softening Butter in Winter

Often cake, biscuit and pudding recipes will specify that the butter needs to be ‘softened’ which means it should be soft enough that you can lightly press your finger into it and leave an imprint easily. When the temperature is about 20°C/68°F or above you can either cut the butter in small cubes or coarsely grate it and then leave it at room temperature to soften. But in the depths of winter, or in cool climates, this won’t help the butter soften as the room temperature will be too cold!

But there is an easy solution...

Cut the butter into small cubes (about 1cm/½in is a good size) and place it on a plate or board.

Then fill a heatproof bowl with very hot tap water and let stand for a minute or two.

Pour out the water and dry the inside of the bowl.

Immediately turn the bowl upside down over the plate or board to cover the butter (making sure it isn’t touching any of the butter) and let it stand for 1-5 minutes or until the butter softens.