Shortening???
- Thread starter Ally
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
3/4 cup of butter
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
Chef Extraordinaire
If this is so, shouldn't you use 20% less butter?
Hi Everyone!
I think it works this way: Butter is approximately 20% water and 80% fat. So to replace shortening (which is 100% fat) with butter, you need to add 25% (which equals 1 divided by 0.8) more butter than the amount of shortening in the recipe. In addition, you also need to reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe to account for the water in the butter. Reduce the liquid by 20% of the amount of butter added.
As an example, say a recipe calls for 1 cup of shortening and 1 cup of milk. If you use butter instead of shortening, you'd use 1.25 cups of butter and reduce the amount of milk by 1/4 cup (20% of 1.25 cups) to 3/4.
Kinda sounds complicated. Sorry about that!
I think it works this way: Butter is approximately 20% water and 80% fat. So to replace shortening (which is 100% fat) with butter, you need to add 25% (which equals 1 divided by 0.8) more butter than the amount of shortening in the recipe. In addition, you also need to reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe to account for the water in the butter. Reduce the liquid by 20% of the amount of butter added.
As an example, say a recipe calls for 1 cup of shortening and 1 cup of milk. If you use butter instead of shortening, you'd use 1.25 cups of butter and reduce the amount of milk by 1/4 cup (20% of 1.25 cups) to 3/4.
Kinda sounds complicated. Sorry about that!
jennyema said:
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).
keltin
Washing Up
Whoa, I vote Michael to be DC’s version of Alton Brown! Great post!
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Too late. He is already there. Michael is the acknowledged master of the technically correct answer. If you want to know, ask Michael.
keltin
Washing Up
Does that work for everything....like questions about women??!?!?!?!?! I've got a pat answer of "smile and nod your head" that seems to work, but I'm sure there is more!
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I can't speak to Michael's expertise on other topics.
My advice is to remember the two most important words any man in a relationship needs to know: "Yes, Dear."
My advice is to remember the two most important words any man in a relationship needs to know: "Yes, Dear."
keltin
Washing Up
Eight words, Andy ....
"Yes, dear"
"Yes, Mom"
"Yes, Grandma"
"I'm sorry ....."
"Yes, dear"
"Yes, Mom"
"Yes, Grandma"
"I'm sorry ....."
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
As always, you've covered all the bases!
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???
Ally said:
If a recipe calls for shortening and you use butter - you subtract liquid.
If a recipe calls for butter and you use shortening - you add liquid.
For your recipe that calls for 3/4 cup shortning and 1-1/2 cups water - if you use butter you would use 3/4 cup butter and 1-1/2 cups MINUS 4.5 teaspoons water.
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