Baking Expert Kristina Lavallee Identifies the Critical Butter Mistake Ruining Most Cakes

When national food publications need precise, science-based baking expertise, they turn to Kristina Lavallee — founder of The Cake Girl and one of the most trusted voices in modern cake baking.

Kristina was recently featured in Chowhound’s expert article “One Common Mistake Everyone Makes When Adding Butter to Cakes,” where she breaks down one of the most overlooked elements in cake preparation: butter temperature.

Most bakers — even experienced ones — underestimate how dramatically butter structure impacts the final result. In her contribution, Kristina explains:

• Cold butter leads to clumping and prevents proper aeration.

• Over-softened butter collapses under mixing, resulting in dense, heavy cakes.

• Properly tempered butter (around 65–68°F) creates the ideal air pockets needed for a light, even crumb.

Kristina also shares practical, professional-grade techniques such as cubing butter for consistent warming and checking firmness with a gentle fingertip press — ensuring it’s soft enough to dent, but not greasy.

These insights highlight what media outlets across the country recognize in Kristina:

She doesn’t just create exceptional desserts — she teaches the science behind truly great cake.

📖 Read the full feature:One Common Mistake Everyone Makes When Adding Butter to Cakes