Mary Berry's Secret To Great Cakes Is All In The Butter

A prolific food writer, chef, and television personality, Mary Berry has acquired plenty of tips and tricks in the kitchen, from the odd way she keeps her roast turkey hot (hint: it involves an old sleeping bag) to her clever hack for preventing wire rack marks on a sponge cake. Unsurprisingly, the former "Great British Bake Off" judge also has a few secrets up her sleeve when it comes to making the perfect dessert.

One of Berry's best pieces of advice is to use high-fat butter or margarine in your cake batter. Writing for Good Food, the pro explains, "I always aim at over 75% [fat]. The problem with lower fat spreads and butters is they have a higher water content. When it evaporates it causes layers [to] bind together in your mix. In the U.K. we tend to always have high fat content so it's not usually a problem, but it's always worth checking your ingredients."

Indeed, the more fat in your bake, the richer, moister, and more fluffy the result. Fat, of course, carries flavor, but when used in baking, it also helps to retain air pockets that are not only essential for a good rise, but ultimately lead to a lighter and more tender crumb. A low fat butter, as Berry suggests, will leave behind less fat as it evaporates, creating a tougher cake, as well as a drier and likely flatter one. We think we can all agree which one sounds more appetizing.

Now that you know to avoid using low-fat butter and spreads in your cake batter, you might be wondering which types actually work best. The big question: Should you opt for European butter or American? Mary Berry alludes to the idea that European butters generally contain more fat, and she's not wrong.

In the United States, regulations define butter as a product having at least 80% butterfat, while in Europe, butter is considered butter when it has no more than 16% water, with a butterfat content between 82 and 90%. Although that doesn't mean that American-made butter never exceeds the minimum, many popular brands do tend to stick to that threshold for standard offerings, Cabot and Land o' Lakes included. Meanwhile, unsalted Kerrygold, a European butter (and particularly popular choice among bakers), contains 82% butterfat.

In baking circles, the debate rages on about which type is preferred, but the short answer is: It really depends on what you're baking. For treats that should be lighter, fluffier, and flakier, American butter with its slightly lower (but not too low) fat percentage is a better choice. But if you're going for something particularly rich, in which the buttery flavor should take a front seat (think: pound cake and butter cake, like a Gâteau Breton), those higher fat European butters can better achieve the right flavor and texture. Nevertheless, the deciding factor might very well come down to your personal preference.