Food processor and cake making . . .

[venson]

Hi,

I've had to move to a new place and space is at the minimum in the kitchen. I know there are differences brand to brand but is it possible to get away with making good cake in a food processor?

Some have attachments for whipping egg white and, if not I could always buy an inexpensive hand mixer. Creaming butter and sugar could be done in the processor's work bowl. Also, I am assuming a 14-cup processor can handle making pound cakes -- one at a time of course.

Last of all are there bread recipes that can be done in the processor without a lot of hand kneading? I haven't a lot of room for working dough by hand.

Thanks,

Venson

 

[jennyema]

I use my food processors almost every day but I would never think to use them for making a cake.

I've never seen a whip attachment for a food processor, nor a dough hook. You can make pastry dough very easily in a fp, but not bread dough.

 

[DoriG]

I made red velvet cupcakes yesterday using my food processor. And I always make Toll House cookies in it...have to halve the recipe but that's easy.

I've often wondered why more people don't make cookies in a processor...it's so fast and easy.

Cheers - Dori

 

[gadzooks]

Cuisinart made a whisk attachment for their 11 and 14 cup food processors. I tried one and it did not thrill me, but I think you could make cake batter in a food processor. I have tried pastry in a food processor. The pill was too fine. I am fortunate to have enough room for an 11 cup food processor and a stand mixer, and use both. I was lucky enough recently to score a pastry knife for my mixer, and it does a perfect job of cutting chilled shortening into flour. If I were a baker, mostly, I would probably opt for a countertop mixer and a mandoline, which I got by on for quite some time.

 

[Silversage]

My own preference would be to keep the mixer instead of the food processor.

Cooking for one or two, I can perform most slicing and chopping tasks faster with a good knife. Dragging out the food processor, then cleaning it afterward is a lot more work than just chopping an onion with a knife. I don't use either my FP or my blender much anymore. I have a stick blender which doesn't take up much space. For the most part, it easily replaces both the food processor and the blender.

On the other hand, a food processor will never give you proper lift when whipping egg whites or creaming butter & sugar. You need to incorporate a lot of air, not just cut them together. It's fine for bread; may work on some cookie doughs, but batters are a different story.