Can I always use butter instead of margarine when baking?
Some recipes says use butter or margarine, some say use butter and some say use margarine. My question is, can I always use butter or does margarine have some property that butter doesn't when baking?
Best Answer
Margarine has less fat than butter, but it doesn't give quite the same flavor as butter does. You also have to be careful what KIND of margarine you are using. Tub margarine has a higher water content and can ruin your baked goods and the stick margarine can have a lot of trans fats in it. If you really want to get detailed into the differences, check out this site:
http://www.baking911.com/pantry/fats.htm
I agree with everything stated on that site in the fact that butter, in my opinion is far superior in flavor and texture than margarine. I have yet to meet a dish that butter didn't improve the taste over margarine. But there is the thing, it really is a lot about taste. A good quote from the site about margarine:
"Not great for baking: does not allow foods to become flaky, rather more cakelike; does not spread as well as lard or shortening; adds a greasy taste. However, some bake with it all the time and have great success; it's a matter of taste."
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Quick Answer about "Can I always use butter instead of margarine when baking?"
Can they be used interchangeably? Yes, butter and margarine can usually be substituted for one another. If they can't the recipe will say so. You'll also just want to be cautious that there may be some slight texture and taste changes, as mentioned above, if you decide to substitute.What happens if you use butter instead of margarine in a cake?
But when you're baking, butter triumphs over margarine every time. For cakes, cookies, and pastries, butter (unsalted, that is) provides richer flavor. (It begins as cream, after all, and margarine is made from vegetable oil.) Butter's high fat content is also what gives baked goods their texture.Select Your Cookie Adventure! Step 1 (Butter or Margarine?)
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Answer 2
If the recipe says margarine, use margarine. If the recipe says use butter, use butter. It can make a difference in how the recipe turns out. I have a cake recipe that ha to have margarine or it will boil over, it's a disaster. Tried and true.
Answer 3
You can use butter because it gives out more flavour to the cakes. I believe though that in normal sized cakes eg: a birthday cake, u would have to mainly use margarine as it can make a whole lot if difference and it contains less fat that butter however if making cupcakes for example sponge ones, it would be perfectly fine to use butter as it would only be a small amount!
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