Thread: Cupcakes with margarine instead of shortening

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> The recipe for the cupcakes I made called for 1/2 cup shortening. All
> I had available was corn oil or margarine. I normally do have
> shortening in the house, since the last one bought sat around for over
> a year since I never used it. I thought it better to use margarine
> instead of corn oil.
>
> The cupcakes came out ok, but my wife thought that they were "heavy"
> not light, and thought it was the margarine that caused it. I figure I
> did not beat the batter long enough since I used a spoon instead of
> the mixer. I am making the next batch for a potluck dinner, so I
> figure that most people there would not notice the difference. I hate
> to go out and buy an ingredient I will only use once with lots left
> sitting in the can.
>
> Thanks for any insight.
>
> Tom

>
Butter contains water. Shortening doesn't. Shortening makes for lighter
"fluffier" cupcakes (and cakes and cookies). Butter makes them more dense.
I'm not much of a baker, but I do know butter makes crispy cookies and
shortening makes chewy cookies, so it stands to reason...

Jill

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> The recipe for the cupcakes I made called for 1/2 cup shortening. All
> I had available was corn oil or margarine. I normally do have
> shortening in the house, since the last one bought sat around for over
> a year since I never used it. I thought it better to use margarine
> instead of corn oil.
>
> The cupcakes came out ok, but my wife thought that they were "heavy"
> not light, and thought it was the margarine that caused it. I figure I
> did not beat the batter long enough since I used a spoon instead of
> the mixer. I am making the next batch for a potluck dinner, so I
> figure that most people there would not notice the difference. I hate
> to go out and buy an ingredient I will only use once with lots left
> sitting in the can.
>
> Thanks for any insight.
>
> Tom



Check your type of Margarine for water content.
Make sure the product is not labeled spread.

Dimitri

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:06:25 -0700 (PDT), "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>The recipe for the cupcakes I made called for 1/2 cup shortening. All
>I had available was corn oil or margarine.

With baking all fats are shortening.

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:41:56 -0400, "jmcquown" <[email protected]>
wrote:

><[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]..
>> The recipe for the cupcakes I made called for 1/2 cup shortening. All
>> I had available was corn oil or margarine. I normally do have
>> shortening in the house, since the last one bought sat around for over
>> a year since I never used it. I thought it better to use margarine
>> instead of corn oil.
>>
>> The cupcakes came out ok, but my wife thought that they were "heavy"
>> not light, and thought it was the margarine that caused it. I figure I
>> did not beat the batter long enough since I used a spoon instead of
>> the mixer. I am making the next batch for a potluck dinner, so I
>> figure that most people there would not notice the difference. I hate
>> to go out and buy an ingredient I will only use once with lots left
>> sitting in the can.
>>
>> Thanks for any insight.
>>
>> Tom
>
>>
>Butter contains water. Shortening doesn't.

But baked goods call for some liquid, just use a few drops less...
wouldn't matter but if one is obsessive compulsive... about 30% of the
water in baked goods evaporates anyway while baking and even
afterwards.

<[email protected]> wrote
>
> The cupcakes came out ok, but my wife thought that they were "heavy"
> not light, and thought it was the margarine that caused it. I figure I
> did not beat the batter long enough since I used a spoon instead of
> the mixer. I am making the next batch for a potluck dinner, so I
> figure that most people there would not notice the difference. I hate
> to go out and buy an ingredient I will only use once with lots left
> sitting in the can.
>
> Thanks for any insight.

Margarine is a shortening and it will work. Difference in texture can be the
type of mixing though. I never checked the density of Crisco versus
margarine either, but there is a difference in hardness at room temperature.
Give the mixer a try next time.

On 8/16/2010 11:06 AM, [email protected] wrote:
> The recipe for the cupcakes I made called for 1/2 cup shortening. All
> I had available was corn oil or margarine. I normally do have
> shortening in the house, since the last one bought sat around for over
> a year since I never used it. I thought it better to use margarine
> instead of corn oil.
>
> The cupcakes came out ok, but my wife thought that they were "heavy"
> not light, and thought it was the margarine that caused it. I figure I
> did not beat the batter long enough since I used a spoon instead of
> the mixer. I am making the next batch for a potluck dinner, so I
> figure that most people there would not notice the difference. I hate
> to go out and buy an ingredient I will only use once with lots left
> sitting in the can.
>
> Thanks for any insight.
>
> Tom


Shortening has 120 calories per tablespoon because it is 100% fat.
Butter and margarine have 100 calories per tablespoon, which is mostly
fat with a little bit of whey (etc), but should be close enough to use
in a cake recipe. (it's enough moisture to really change a cookie recipe
though) A lot of the stuff that passes for margarine these days is not
really margarine but reduced calorie "spread" that has a much higher
moisture content. If it's at least 90 calories per tablespoon, you're
probably still alright. Much lower than that and you are adding too
much water and not enough fat to the cake unless you increase the amount
of "margarine" and decrease the milk.

Real margarine (if you can find it) costs almost as much as real butter
lately. So I buy real butter (on sale) to cook with, and Smart Balance
spread for eating.

Bob

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:50:07 -0500, zxcvbob <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On 8/16/2010 11:06 AM, [email protected] wrote:
>> The recipe for the cupcakes I made called for 1/2 cup shortening. All
>> I had available was corn oil or margarine. I normally do have
>> shortening in the house, since the last one bought sat around for over
>> a year since I never used it. I thought it better to use margarine
>> instead of corn oil.
>>
>> The cupcakes came out ok, but my wife thought that they were "heavy"
>> not light, and thought it was the margarine that caused it. I figure I
>> did not beat the batter long enough since I used a spoon instead of
>> the mixer. I am making the next batch for a potluck dinner, so I
>> figure that most people there would not notice the difference. I hate
>> to go out and buy an ingredient I will only use once with lots left
>> sitting in the can.
>>
>> Thanks for any insight.
>>
>> Tom
>
>
>Shortening has 120 calories per tablespoon because it is 100% fat.

In baking your use of the word "Shortening" is meaningless in this
context; in baking ALL fats (solid and liquid) are shortening.

http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutriti...es/food/crisco

>Butter and margarine have 100 calories per tablespoon, which is mostly
>fat with a little bit of whey (etc),

That would be milk solids, not whey.

Butter in the US contains about 8% water. It's difficult to acertain
the precise caloric content per volume of these solid fats due to the
incorporation of air. In any event the caloric content of solid fats
contained therein is pretty much meaningless... anyone worried about
10% fewer fat calories only need take a smaller portion. In dieting
use a scale, volume measurements are useless.

Anyone who considers themself a foodie should never use the word
"shortening" when they can use the word "fat"... culinarilly
shortening is ALWAYS a verb, NEVER a noun.

brooklyn1;1519612 Wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:50:07 -0500, zxcvbob [email protected]
> wrote:
> -
> On 8/16/2010 11:06 AM, [email protected] wrote:-
> The recipe for the cupcakes I made called for 1/2 cup shortening. All
> I had available was corn oil or margarine. I normally do have
> shortening in the house, since the last one bought sat around for over
> a year since I never used it. I thought it better to use margarine
> instead of corn oil.
>
> The cupcakes came out ok, but my wife thought that they were "heavy"
> not light, and thought it was the margarine that caused it. I figure I
> did not beat the batter long enough since I used a spoon instead of
> the mixer. I am making the next batch for a potluck dinner, so I
> figure that most people there would not notice the difference. I hate
> to go out and buy an ingredient I will only use once with lots left
> sitting in the can.
>
> Thanks for any insight.
>
> Tom-
>
>
> Shortening has 120 calories per tablespoon because it is 100% fat. -
>
> In baking your use of the word "Shortening" is meaningless in this
> context; in baking ALL fats (solid and liquid) are shortening.
>
> 'Crisco Nutrition Facts, Calories, Fat, Protein, and Diet Information -
> Food Search Results - The Daily Plate Calorie Counter'
> (http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutriti...es/food/crisco)
> -
> Butter and margarine have 100 calories per tablespoon, which is mostly
> fat with a little bit of whey (etc), -
>
> That would be milk solids, not whey.
>
> Butter in the US contains about 8% water. It's difficult to acertain
> the precise caloric content per volume of these solid fats due to the
> incorporation of air. In any event the caloric content of solid fats
> contained therein is pretty much meaningless... anyone worried about
> 10% fewer fat calories only need take a smaller portion. In dieting
> use a scale, volume measurements are useless.
>
> Anyone who considers themself a foodie should never use the word
> "shortening" when they can use the word "fat"... culinarilly
> shortening is ALWAYS a verb, NEVER a noun.

I think bacon fat might help out a bit. What's with the prices of bacon
lately, though. I always save the fat, even when it's cheap. Real butter
**** pounds margarine. Margarine is good for feeding inmates. Enjoy
butter. You can still by salt ffree or move on to lard.




--
Gorio