Can you cream butter and sugar (e.g. frosting) without a machine? Any tips for doing this by hand?

Recipes for frosting often call for creaming butter and sugar with a food processor or hand mixer, because I do not have these items, let alone any small appliances, I need to do this by hand, but cannot find any suggestions for this.Can you cream butter and sugar (e.g. frosting) without a machine? Any tips for doing this by hand?
The best way that I have found is to use a large fork and a lot of mixing. You use the fork like you are mashing the butter, it works, I do it all the time.Can you cream butter and sugar (e.g. frosting) without a machine? Any tips for doing this by hand?
Of course you can, it just takes longer - start with a spoon to get everything mixed - then switch to a whick and beat the hell out of it. Your arm will get tired! But this is just the way they did it in the old days.





It does help if your butter is at room temperature before you start.
The best way is warm your bowl first by standing it in hot water ,I put mine in the washing up bowl , add your butter to your mixing bowl while still in the hot water , this softens the butter, then add sugar , take mixing bowl out stand on a tea towel and whisk away
Easy to do by hand.





In large bowl, use 1/2 cube amounts of totally softened butter, and about 3/4 lb powdered sugar.





Mix together slowly at first until the sugar is moistened with the butter, then add 1 tsp vanilla (or other flavoring, and food color), stir this in.





Finally add milk or water, drop by drop and stir until you reach the right consistency. If you put too much liquid, add some of the remaining powdered sugar in the box. The trick is to use softened butter....but NOT melted butter. So let the butter sit out on the counter for a while, or a few seconds in the microwave at most.
Yes, it's easy to mix by hand, just make sure the butter is soft first. Take it out of the refridgerator and leave it out for a few hours.
yes.by cut and fold method which is also used in the preparation of cakes.
I think U B Happy said it best, that's how I do it. I always use a sturdy, narrow-tined fork, the rosewood handled one my mom gave me.
sure you can. They did it before mixers were around. In a stainless bowl let butter sit until room temp add your sugan and mix vigurously with a rubber scraper until it is thuroughly combined and creamy.
First soften the butter, cut it into pieces so that it thaws quickly, and then cream with sugar in a bowl using the whisker.
just use the wooden mixing spoon and do the cut and fold technique