Butter Soften. Place a heat-safe bowl nested on top with the butter inside. This range allows the needle-like beta prime fat crystals to be solid but still pliable.
Canadian butter has gotten weirdly hard and wont soften at room temperature. If its not soft enough the butter wont cream well with the sugar frequently the first step of baking recipes. Thanks Cal for a good recipe that replaces store bought junk.
Just leave them at room temperature for about an hour or until soft to the touch.
When mixed the softened fat traps air pockets so cookies cakes and frosting will turn out light instead of dense. However be careful not to melt your butter to a liquid state. A stylized bird with an open mouth tweeting. Give it a water bath.