Has anybody found a good substitute for partially hydrogenated oil in...

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buttercream frosting?

So a local supermarket that used to make delicious sheet cakes recently stopped using it to comply with the stupid FDA laws (like anyone was getting heart attacks from eating a few slices of birthday cake per year), and the result is lame frosting lacking in the richness/thickness that it used to have. Is there anything that can replicate what partially hydrogenated oils did for it, or am I out of luck?

Cake was one of the only things that I liked about this planet. A world without cake is probably not a world worth living in.
 
Is there anything that can replicate what partially hydrogenated oils did for it, or am I out of luck?

That's a question I never thought I would be asked.

CD
 
Buttercream frosting doesn't usually have any oil in it. If there is oil in the recipe, it's there as a cheap substitute for butter.
 
Buttercream frosting doesn't usually have any oil in it. If there is oil in the recipe, it's there as a cheap substitute for butter.

Exactly right, Andy. Buttercream frosting usually has only a handful of ingredients: butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla (or other flavoring), and milk. Hydrogenated oils aren't part of the equation, at least not when I've run across it.

Now if we're talking about frosting made with the original formula of Crisco, that's something different. I've never cared for those kinds of frostings myself - it's just kind of a textural thing with me.
 
The thing is, there was always a major difference between this supermarket's buttercream frosting and that of the other popular supermarket in the area. The other one's was this light, cheap, tasteless stuff...had all the flavor of like Pillsbury Toaster Strudel icing (the true meaning of "icing"), but not as sweet. This stuff was much richer/creamier and sweeter...before non-PHO compliance took over at some point this year.

I would have thought the other supermarket was doing the cheap recipe. I just assumed the good stuff contained both butter and PHO.
 
buttercream frosting?

So a local supermarket that used to make delicious sheet cakes recently stopped using it to comply with the stupid FDA laws (like anyone was getting heart attacks from eating a few slices of birthday cake per year), and the result is lame frosting lacking in the richness/thickness that it used to have. Is there anything that can replicate what partially hydrogenated oils did for it, or am I out of luck?

Cake was one of the only things that I liked about this planet. A world without cake is probably not a world worth living in.

Even if someone could come up with a recipe for you, how would you get it on a store-bought cake? Were you planning on buying the cake without frosting or scraping off the bakery icing and adding your own?

If you want the true flavor of birthday cake icing, try adding Amoretti Premium Birthday Cake Syrup to your frosting recipe. I can personally guarantee your frosting will taste EXACTLY like a birthday cake!

If you are attempting to get your local bakery to change their recipe, Amoretti also has birthday cake extract or Artisan flavoring which can be purchased in larger quantities. If they are a legitimate business and contact Amoretti, they may be able to score some free samples.
 
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Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 10 minutes
  • Servings: 12

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Steps

  • 1 In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk.
  • 2 Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar. Frosts 13x9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake.

Inserted from <https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/vanilla-buttercream-frosting/39107a19-be94-4571-9031-f1fc5bd1d606>

 
Add more or less milk/powdered sugar. I don’t eat the stuff so can’t give exact answer. We get our cakes with whipped cream frosting. We don’t like the greasy texture/mouth feel of buttercream frosting. The buttercream roses look pretty but get chucked.
 
Oh My!

If I may chime in ...

There are several types of Buttercream frostings as I understand it... being just a home baker and not a professional ... I've made Italian Buttercream, Swiss and straight up "American Buttercream".
Here's an interesting article from Serious Eats I found ...

The World of Buttercreams: 6 Varieties to Try at Home | Serious Eats

Now, I'm not sure if this counts as a Buttercream Frosting, but I just made a double batch of Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Frosting ...

https://www.hersheys.com/kitchens/en_us/recipes/perfectly-chocolate-chocolate-frosting.html

I really like this recipe for it's ease ... melted butter! I don't need to think ahead to soften all that butter! And the consistency is wonderful for either spreading or piping!

And, EverythingAfterThe90sSuck, I think that life, at least for me here in America, has gotten better and better as the years have gone by...it's all what you make it, right? ;)
 
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buttercream frosting?

So a local supermarket that used to make delicious sheet cakes recently stopped using it to comply with the stupid FDA laws (like anyone was getting heart attacks from eating a few slices of birthday cake per year), and the result is lame frosting lacking in the richness/thickness that it used to have. Is there anything that can replicate what partially hydrogenated oils did for it, or am I out of luck?

Cake was one of the only things that I liked about this planet. A world without cake is probably not a world worth living in.



Buttercream frosting doesn’t have oil in it
 
I'n not buying the claim that using partially hydrogenated oils in buttercream frosting is rare. I read a few articles where owners of independent bakeries were worried about how the FDA regulations were going to ruin the taste of their products, with the main one cited being cupcakes.

And I just found the old recipe for the supermarket frosting and sure enough, it was oil/shortening-based (partially hydrogenated soy and palm oils).

I don't think I've ever had "real" buttercream frosting in my life, be it supermarket cakes, independent bakeries, or restaurants. I always thought it was strange how I hate the taste of butter (and margarine), yet love frosting. Now I think I know why; none of them ever contained butter. And from what I have read, people think the new shortenings without the partially hydrogenated oils are terrible.

Looks like I'm out of luck.
 
I'n not buying the claim.............

This is like saying that a McDonald's 'shake' is a real milkshake and one make from real milk and ice cream is not. It's not a claim. It's what's real. By definition, buttercream is made with butter. Period. Grocery store frosting may be called buttercream in their promos, but it is not real buttercream. It's bakery frosting, made with shortening, not butter.

There are variations on real buttercream, with different sugars, egg yolks, egg whites, whole eggs. But they ALL are based on butter. If you are looking for a cheap commercial substitution, you are in the wrong place. Try one of the national food product distributors like Sysco or Gordon. Most of us make real buttercream and are not looking for a substitute for partialy hydrogenated shortening.

You may want to try the real thing before you bemoan the loss of artificial products.
 
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