We've all been there: recipe in hand, apron on, ready to make a delicious layer cake [1] or a batch of chewy cookies [2], only to realize that the recipe calls for room-temperature butter. You might think that the best solution is to briefly blitz it in the microwave until soft, but that usually leads to partially melted butter. Since the texture of butter affects the finished baked good, this simply won't do. The solution? Grate the cold butter on the large side of a box grater (it may get messy). This drastically increases the butter's surface area, exposing it to more room-temperature air and bringing it to room temperature much faster, so you'll be able to use it in your recipe that much sooner.