To Beat, Fold, or Cream? That Is the Question
In baking, some common terms you’ll find in recipes are creaming, beating, and folding. A lot of home bakers think they all mean the same thing, but they are not really interchangeable. Though beating and creaming are very similar, folding an ingredient is drastically different.

Anytime you see the word folding in a recipe, you need to gently combine your ingredients. That means no stirring, shaking, or beating of any form. Doing anything other than what is called for will have a negative effect on how your baked item turns out.