Hi All!!

I went to the grocery store tonight to by some "butter". OMG!!! it seemed like there was about 50 different choices to choose from. I got to confused and left the store with no butter.

I am making chocolate buttercream and it calls for "butter". That is all the recipe says. When I went to
Wal-mart I seen: Butter, Un-Salted butter, Margarine, Boxes of what I thought was butter but the word "butter" was nowhere to be found on the package only the brand name was on the box. Blue Bonnet brand says it perfect for baking, but the word butter is not on it. Then a lot of them advertise that there is no trans fat. That scares me because no trans fat in the Crisco Shortening totally jacked up my original recipe for buttercream. I had to change to Hi-Ratio shortening. Anyway, can someone please tell me what kind of "butter" I need????? The recipe I am using also calls for unsweetened cocoa, powdered sugar, shortening and flavoring. I am ok on all of that, it is just the butter that has confused me. What about Margarine?? What brand name should I stick with, when it comes to choosing butter??

Thank you,

=)

I always bake with unsalted butter but don't have a brand preference. I will be interested if others have a brand preference.

Don't get all fussed up about it just stick to the basics and you'll be fine use unsalted or salted store brand butter real butter.

When I first started decorating I used Margarine for my buttercream (half shortening). And it was good, but when I tried it with butter I was in love. It tastes more "real". I don't know how to explain, but I just find it yummier, lol.

I always use Great Value Unsalted Butter. Good luck!

I use salted butter and whatever brand is the cheapest.

I use salted butter and whatever brand is the cheapest.

I use salted butter in my icing and unsalted for baking and whatever brand is the cheapest.

Blue Bonnet is margarine. With chocolate, I prefer to use salted butter because it really enhances the chocolate flavor. For any kind of crusting buttercream, actually, I prefer to use salted butter. For meringue-based buttercreams, I prefer to use unsalted butter. I've used Crisco, unsalted butter, salted butter, margarine, hi-ratio shortening, and cream cheese. They all WORK. They just have slightly different flavors. So don't sweat it too much, just pick one. And next time, try another one, until you find one that works best for you.

Personally, I really hate shortening-based buttercreams. I'll only use them if I know the cake is going to be out in really really hot weather for a long time. Otherwise, I use all butter, or SMBC.

Sorry, don't know why my reply posted 3 times.

Thank you all!!!

I use unsalted butter. I recommend buying some at Costco, you can get it a lot cheaper.

I use unsalted butter. I recommend buying some at Costco, you can get it a lot cheaper.

I use unsalted butter. I recommend buying some at Costco, you can get it a lot cheaper.

I use unsalted butter. I recommend buying some at Costco, you can get it a lot cheaper.

unless the recipe states otherwise, I always use unsalted butter (the real stuff)

I like the real salted butter at Aldi's ($1.50 per pound). I find Walmart's real butter tastes the same, but it is more "yellow". Some people say that Land O Lakes is pretty light too.

I always use unsalted butter as well.

I get mine from Sam's Club. I use salted butter in everything except homemade pound cake and the whipped non crusting buttercream.

We hardly even use margarine anymore, I have a son who can't have preservatives anyway so he needs real butter...I have some of that zero calorie spray margarine to use once in awhile for toast but that's about it.

I get mine from Sam's Club. I use salted butter in everything except homemade pound cake and the whipped non crusting buttercream.

We hardly even use margarine anymore, I have a son who can't have preservatives anyway so he needs real butter...I have some of that zero calorie spray margarine to use once in awhile for toast but that's about it.

I use Land-o-Lakes unsalted and salted butter. When you bring it to room temperature, it creams together great.

I use the store brand (Bayview or Sunnyside farms) Salted real butter... I prefer the taste of salted in my buttercream (cuts the sweetness a little) usually about $1.85 a pound...

I use unsalted butter in all my baking. Sweet cream (salted) in my buttercream. I have a very strong brand preference for Land 'o Lakes.

I prefer either Land O' Lakes or Keller's salted and unsalted butter.

The difference you'll see in salted/unsalted butter is mainly flavor. They both should "perform" the same in your recipe.

Margarine will act differently, as it's mostly oil. Shortening (ie crisco) is all oil based, but it will stand up well in humid conditions. Try your recipes with each of these & see which ingredient you like better. There are several bakers on the boards that like a butter/shortening combo in their frostings.

Generally speaking, if your recipe calls for "butter", the writer means for you to use regular, salted butter (unless previously stated). I like to make most recipes as written the first time and then tweak from there.

Thanks for the tip on getting butter @ Aldi's!

The difference you'll see in salted/unsalted butter is mainly flavor. They both should "perform" the same in your recipe.

Margarine will act differently, as it's mostly oil. Shortening (ie crisco) is all oil based, but it will stand up well in humid conditions. Try your recipes with each of these & see which ingredient you like better. There are several bakers on the boards that like a butter/shortening combo in their frostings.

Generally speaking, if your recipe calls for "butter", the writer means for you to use regular, salted butter (unless previously stated). I like to make most recipes as written the first time and then tweak from there.

Thanks for the tip on getting butter @ Aldi's!