Do you wonder how and when you should sift your ingredients? Is sifting really necessary?

For most recipes where you use a stand mixer - like cakes, cookies, cheesecakes - it's fine to combine your dry ingredients with a whisk. Whisking breaks up most lumps, including when you're incorporating cocoa powder (which can be clumpy).

When should you sift? When the recipe calls for it! Sifting is called for when you are folding dry ingredients gently into delicate, wet batter like angel food cake or our recent madeleines. 

Do you need a sifter? We don't use one. We use a fine-mesh sieve over a piece of parchment paper or a bowl. A sieve can be used in many other ways and justifies its place in our kitchen.

Happy Baking!

#bakingtips #tips #sideswipebeater #sideswipeblade #sifting #cookies #cakes #angelfood #madeleines #kitchenaidmixer #howtobake #homemade #homebaker #bakersgonnabake #bakersofinstagram #learntobake #betterbaking

We're giving away a really fun FAMILY BAKING KIT in early November! It's the perfect way to introduce your family to the joys of creating together.

The kit includes two child-size bright green aprons; two nested sets of star and flower cookie cutters; two Progressive PrepWork decorating squeeze bottles with 6 metal decorating tips; a set of 5 Wilton food decorating paintbrushes; a Wilton mini icing spatula; and of, course, a SideSwipe beater sized to fit your KitchenAid mixer. We may include a surprise or two, as well!

For chances to win, please do one or all of the following by Friday, November 9, 11:59 pm ET:

1. FOLLOW @sideswipeblade on instagram
2. REPOST our instagram giveaway post, TELL US what your family bakes together and INCLUDE #SideSwipeFamilyBaking
3. SIGN UP for our email list at www.sideswipeblade.com
4. POST a “family baking” photo with the hashtag #SideSwipeFamilyBaking
5. Like our Facebook page, SideSwipe Beater for KitchenAid mixers.

Fine Print:
You must be 18 at the time of entry. Randomly chosen winner (1) will be announced the week of 3. Odds of winning depend on number of participants. Winners must agree to have us publish their Instagram names on IG, FB & website.  Neither Instagram or Facebook is associated with this contest. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

#giveaway #sideswipebeater #sideswipeblade #kitchenaidstandmixer #standmixer #familybakingmonth #sideswipefamilybaking

Happy Autumn!

This is prime baking season, with lots of treats using apples, pumpkin, chocolate and nuts. To help improve your baking, we'll be adding more tips on our blog and continue to provide tested recipes using seasonal ingredients. We also will add videos to our website and our new You Tube channel, featuring mixing demos and technical help for your mixers and SideSwipe.

We also have a special events planned and some new products coming......so stop back often!

To be in the know and eligible for special promotions, sign up for our newsletter. We won't fill up your mailbox. Just an occasional note to tell you about something important we have going.
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Congratulations to Craft Baking of Mechanicville, New York and Blue Soda Cake of Greensboro, North Carolina - the winners of our first ever Instagram Giveaway. Each will receive a SideSwipe beater that fits their KitchenAid stand mixer. 

Thanks to all who participated in the Back To School giveaway. Stay tuned for sales, promotions and special events this fall!