I have been wondering is their a difference in using stick butter and margarine? I currently use Gold N Soft margarine when making cupcakes. I have never used butter thus far. When trying to make Cream Cheese frosting the frosting doesn't get thick n stiff enough to place on top of my cupcakes. To start using stick butter or stick margarine?

I'm a margarine-only person. Don't like the taste of "real" butter. Grew up on margarine. that's what my taste buds are atune to.

There are differences in margarines. Some have a higher water content than others and will affect recipes differently. I never use Blue Bonnet. I always use Imperial (ironically, the cheapest stuff on the walmart shelf!).

Thanks. Gold N Soft has is 70% vegetable oil spread margarine. Does margarine affect making cream cheese frosting?

oh and "spread" is WAY different than margarine! Spread is designed NOT to harden up, i.e. stay soft ... which may be a problem when you're making icing that you want to hold its shape in a flower or a border.

LOL! I just realized I was using spread instead of margarine the whole time! LOL! O MY! I will be heading to the store to get butter and show how the frosting turns out. Wish me luck! Another thing, is my vanilla cupcakes a an eggish smell to them, hard to explain, and a taste that I can't explain, but its moist and perfect recipe expect for those two problems. I used the following recipe from Buddy from the Cake Boss:

Ingredients
# 21/2 cups cake flour, plus more for flouring the cake pans
# 2 cups sugar, plus more for unmolding cake
# 3/4 cup vegetable oil
# 21/4 teaspoons baking powder
# 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
# 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
# 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
# 1 cup whole milk
# Unsalted butter, for greasing two cake pans (about 2 tablespoons); nonstick
# cooking spray or vegetable oil may be substituted

I didn't know I have been using spread this whole time! I use it in my cupcakes recipes, I will be switching to butter ASAP!

hahah! I'm such a goof! lol! Do you know of any good vanilla cake recipes?

I only use real butter. Margarine is not digested by your body as well as butter, and I personally think that butter tastes better. But that is what I grew up on too. I never cared much for the greasiness of margarine.

This is weird, I grew up with margarine -I even helped my mother color the stuff back in the 40's. (Ok, I stood on chair and sprinkled or squeezed the colorant into the mixing bowl.) But I will generally do without if I am offered margerine now. Butter all the way. I used to use margarine in baking, until I noticed that my dog would steal sticks of butter left on the counter but never touched the margarine. I thinks she knows something that people don't.

Narie, I'm the same way. Grew up on margarine but won't touch the stuff now! I definitely prefer butter! (And my dogs like butter too!)