define 'bake'

Today I learned that recipe writers are dumbing-down their directions because people don't understand cooking verbs anymore. Here's one solution:

In 1935, for example, a Land O'Lakes butterscotch cookie recipe directed cooks to "cream together thoroughly the butter and sugar." Today, Botham said, "we don't use the word 'cream' anymore. People don't understand what that means. Instead, we say 'Using your mixer, beat the butter and sugar.' "

So, if you can't figure out what 'cream' means by surfing the web, what are you gonna do if you don't own a mixer?