Hi All!

This might be a stupid question, but I have to ask it. When a receipe says:

"Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk"

The word "alternately" is confusing the crap out of me and don't know why??

I see a lot of scratch cakes use this term. Can you break this down to me on a 3rd grade level???? =)

Thank You

Add a third of the dry ingredients to your batter first.
As soon as the dry ingredients are mixed in, add half of the wet ingredients to your batter.
As soon as the wet ingredients are mixed in, add another third of the dry.
As soon as those dry ingredients are mixed in, add the last half of the wet.
As soon as those wet ingredients are mixed in, add the remaining dry.

You want to go to the next step as soon as the previous dry/wet ingredients are blended in order to avoid over-mixing. You always start and end with the dry ingredients.

It does sound strange , doesn't it ?! I would first sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together and be sure they are fairly well blended. Then, add 1/3 of the total sugar/cocoa mixture to your bowl and blend in. Then, add 1/2 of the quantity of milk and blend in. Then, add the next 1/3 of the sugar/cocoa and mix. Then add the rest of the liquid and mix. Next, add the last 1/3 of the sugar/cocoa and mix well. You are alternating dry ingredients and wet ingredients, starting and ending with dry.