And, make sure you cream the butter and sugar together very well - 5 minutes or more with an electric mixer. This is necessary to incorporate as much air into the butter as possible - shortening is abaout 20% tiny air bubbles that expand when heated - butter doesn't have any air bubbles so you need to add them. If you don't it will affect the texture and the cupcakes will be denser.
jennyema said:If this is so, shouldn't you use 20% less butter?
Whoa, I vote Michael to be DC’s version of Alton Brown! Great post!
Too late. He is already there. Michael is the acknowledged master of the technically correct answer. If you want to know, ask Michael.
My advice is to remember the two most important words any man in a relationship needs to know: "Yes, Dear."
thanks for the help...but it got a little confusing...No, Jennyema - the amount of fat is the same in the two on a volume to volume substitution .... but Shirley and Alton would both make me sit in the corner for not remembring this until your question:
You have to adjust the liquid content to compensate for the differences between the two - shortening is fat and air, butter is fat and water. Using US measurements (1 cup = 16 Tablespoons, 1 Tablespoon = 3 teaspoons) ... the factor is 1.5 teaspoons liquid per 1/4 cup. If you are substituting butter for shortning you subtract that amount of liquid from the recipe, if your substituting shortning for butter you add that much water.
So, in this case of swapping 3/4 cup butter for 3/4 cup shortning - Ally should reduce the liquid in the recipe by 4.5 teaspoons (or 1 Tablespoon plus 1.5 teaspoons).
Ally said:thanks for the help...but it got a little confusing...
the recipe ask for 1 1/2 cups water and 3/4 cup shortening so i should add 4.5 teaspoons of water if i sub the shortening for butter???